Sometimes, RC vectors me right over the airport on downwind and then turns me like 30 degress off the downwind heading once over the airport.  They then turn me back on downwind then eventually turn me on base leg.  One place this happened was at KORD on the WATSN2 STAR I believe.  I was landing on one of the 28 runways.  The vectors leaded me to a good intercept, but am just wondering if a downwind leg can be over the airport.  Thanks.

You were approaching KORD from the east from the area of CENAK. Are you using the default KORD?

 

For practical purposes the 27s and 28s are parallel and are sprawling separation wise over that large real estate.

 

The traffic pattern you describe is unusual.

 

First, a downwind to the 28s would be heading east about 100 degrees. It looks like you were parallel to the 28s after entering south of the airport passing west of the airport, then being turned north than east for the downwind entries for final adjustment heading on the east downwind for one of the 28s. You coming off of near CENAK were not within the window for a straight in so you were vectored past the airport. then turned crosswind a bit then downwind.

 

If from CENAK took you north of the 28s then it would be similar.

 

The IAF for 28C is VOGLR  south of CENAK and looks like it is straight in. 28R also uses VOGLR with a slight offset to the north.

 

VOGLR is 38.4 nm to the FAF for the 28s and within the approach boundary for the center of KORD.

 

Now here's the rub. If RC is using initially the KORD airport reference coordinates it calculates for the airport center, then it might consider the 28s south of the STAR breakout point, hard to tell, and would be outside of the 20 degree straight in limitation. It would then take you over the airport to the north past the 28s, then turn to the south, and then downwind with a shift adjust.

 

A right downwind would be for 28R and a left downwind for 28C.

 

The 28s and intersections are not in Plan-G so I do not have a scaled reference to look at. I used 28 approach plates to get scale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can't recall the specific airport but RC did this on a GA flight from KBOS to Martha's Vineyard if I recall correctly.

Sorry Ron, I messed up.  I meant I was landing on one of the 10 runways, not 28. 28 would be a straight in.  What I said in the OP was for 10.  Sorry.