With winds out of the south, Runway 15 was the runway in use at Aurora Airport in Sugar Grove, Illinois. The hot spot for this configuration is the runway crossing for the taxiway Parnell El to Runway 27. The issue is: to get to Runway 15 from the terminal, you have to cross Runway 15 and then cross Runway 27. And there is only so much room between the crossing of Runway 15 and the crossing of Runway 27.
And the controllers are forbidden from telling airplanes to cross more than one runway at a time. So they have to focus on the airplanes as they cross Runway 15, so they can follow up with permitting the crossing of Runway 27.
So, as happened today, when they have three consecutive aircraft taxiing out for Runway 15, they are scrambling to get approval from the tower controller to sneak across Runway 15, staring at the planes cutting across the runway, then getting approval for the next plane to cross Runway 15 as they hurry the first plane across Runway 27.
So, here we are, getting ready to take off at the approach end of Runway 15. We see a plane cross the threshold of Runway 15 for a touch and go. We can see a Cessna on the downwind for Runway 15. From our perspective (not seeing the crosscrossing at the other end of Runway 15), we are wondering what the delay is.
Once the tower puts us to line up and wait on the runway, we get a clearer view of the complications happening down the runway.
So, glancing at the Cessna which has turned final, we are cleared for takeoff on Runway 15.
Captain Jody and the mighty Archer take us to Milwaukee Mitchell.