Kenny Taylor
Pre-takeoff checklist
I went into KLGB IFR in a C172 for the first time a couple weeks back. Conditions were VMC, and approach had us descend over the harbor and provided vectors to final ILS 30. I reported established, grabbed the glideslope, switched to tower, and received our landing clearance. About 2-3 miles out, tower canceled our landing clearance to allow a 737 to roll onto the runway and take off. I leveled off and held my speed, assuming we'd get tossed back to approach and vectored back around.
Much to my surprise, they gave the landing clearance back about a mile out, after the 737 started rolling, with a LAHSO to boot. I was a good 1,000 feet high at that point but reasoned that between flaps and throttle, I could close the gap and make a decent landing short of our LAHSO point. And we did, touching down about 2,500 feet before that point, but if I did it again, I would probably have opted to go missed.
In hindsight, part of the problem was my not knowing the 'normal' for KLGB. I suspect it's normal for Long Beach tower to slip a scheduled flight in where they can. I didn't expect the LAHSO but had briefed the airport diagram and was ready for it. I made things more difficult for myself by leveling off.
My question to the group is this: approach had cleared me on the ILS, tower cleared me to land, rescinded that clearance, but didn't assign an altitude. Did they intend for me to continue the approach along the glideslope with the 737 on the runway? The 737 was prompt to roll out and take off, and continuing on glideslope would have worked, but I'm trying to understand what tower intended to happen.
Much to my surprise, they gave the landing clearance back about a mile out, after the 737 started rolling, with a LAHSO to boot. I was a good 1,000 feet high at that point but reasoned that between flaps and throttle, I could close the gap and make a decent landing short of our LAHSO point. And we did, touching down about 2,500 feet before that point, but if I did it again, I would probably have opted to go missed.
In hindsight, part of the problem was my not knowing the 'normal' for KLGB. I suspect it's normal for Long Beach tower to slip a scheduled flight in where they can. I didn't expect the LAHSO but had briefed the airport diagram and was ready for it. I made things more difficult for myself by leveling off.
My question to the group is this: approach had cleared me on the ILS, tower cleared me to land, rescinded that clearance, but didn't assign an altitude. Did they intend for me to continue the approach along the glideslope with the 737 on the runway? The 737 was prompt to roll out and take off, and continuing on glideslope would have worked, but I'm trying to understand what tower intended to happen.