ATC contact in Class C/D

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Pilot Nick

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New Private pilot here. Are there any mandatory reporting points after making contact with ATC and gaining permission to enter the airspace while VFR?

A for instance are touch and goes in class D. I was cleared for the option and not told to report again. I often come all the way around to short final before getting cleared again. Should I have called tower on the downwind anyways?
 
I have done touch and goes at KRNO (Class C) and usually by mid-field downwind they will give me cleared to land (or cleared for the option). If I get to where I am about to turn base and have not received a clearance, I'll call them up and say something like 'Reno Tower, Skyhawk Nxxxxx, verify cleared to land 16L".

I think I have only had to do this once.
 
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When it gets busy at PAO, they get behind enough with the short runway to make me nervous. I don't like to start a descent without a sequence. So, I'll ask for one as I approach abeam the numbers, if I haven't heard. It happens reasonably often.

With a 2400 foot runway, patterns don't last very long.
 
When doing touch and gos at GTU I tell tower where I'm at when I reach midfield. Sometimes they beat me to it, sometimes it is busy and I can't get a word in until I'm turning base. My feeling is I'd rather have a landing clearance early than have to worry about the radio when I'm at a high workload time like short final.
 
No need to call unless they tell you to report something.
 
The answer is once the tower has cleared you to land there is no need to report to them again. Otherwise they will tell you when to report. For safety reasons no one is probably going to give you a hard time if you report where you are and asking for clarification about clearance to land. Remember the bottom line is being safe, and if this requires you contacting the tower after they have cleared you, this is your prerogative.
 
It's unusual to get a clearance to land on initial contact and entry into the airspace. It happens occasionally if it's not busy, particularly for straight-ins.
 
douglas393 said:
The answer is once the tower has cleared you to land there is no need to report to them again.
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The OP cited the example of doing touch and gos. AIM 4-3-22 indicates the pilot should make this request on entering downwind. I would have thought each lap of the pattern would reset this requirement. Is there a controller perhaps who can lend their thoughts?
 
djm181 said:
The OP cited the example of doing touch and gos. AIM 4-3-22 indicates the pilot should make this request on entering downwind. I would have thought each lap of the pattern would reset this requirement. Is there a controller perhaps who can lend their thoughts?
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Right, o after you take off the tower will again have to clear you for a landing. In my experience, when I have done touch and goes at a towered airport, the tower will on clearing me to land tell me to report midfield downwind after taking off again. However, again I think the important issue is if you are uncertain it never hurts to ask the tower.
 
I've never been asked to report midfield downwind at PAO. I have at SNS. Maybe it's the short runway. SNS is much bigger. But you're clearly right that a new clearance is required, every time you cross the threshold. Technically, you can do a low approach legally as long as you don't touch the runway (and haven't been told to do something else), but it's really not a good idea. 14 CFR 91.129(i) only prohibits a takeoff, landing or runway crossing without clearance.
 
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While it may not be required I think it's good practice to remind the tower you are "left midfield downwind runway...." My experience is this is always followed up with further instructions.

At the class C I fly out of they tell you to "squawk standby in the pattern and report the midfields each time around." Clearly they want you to report so I guess it varies based on airport.
 
Just make sure you touch bases w/ tower before you touch down.

If they forget about me I'll do a "Stinson XXX short final"
 
djm181 said:
The OP cited the example of doing touch and gos. AIM 4-3-22 indicates the pilot should make this request on entering downwind. I would have thought each lap of the pattern would reset this requirement. Is there a controller perhaps who can lend their thoughts?
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Sure if it's your first time inbound. The OP is talking about after his first approach. No point in telling him he's doing the option again if the controller knows he doing closed traffic. Especially since he's been told not to continue reporting by tower.

We always get a lot of techniques and examples of what happens at different airports with this topic. It varies everywhere you go. No standard on where to report. Usually if they want you to report its because they're getting busy and dont want to lose track of their traffic. You could get a clearance on downwind, maybe on base, and rarely on final. If you're doing closed traffic, just make sure you get a clearance before touchdown.
 
As folks have said, the answer of when you'll get your next "Cleared for the option" clearance can vary depending on the facility. I've had it very early (just before turning crosswind) to very late (after turning base) during the same session and same controller.

Best advise I can give is to be flexible and vigilant. Know the controller might be multi tasking and hasn't gotten to you yet (flexible) but vigilant when you haven't gotten the clearance and you're out of your comfort spot when you think you should have it. As stated above, a quick position call to the tower will wake them up and get you the clearance.
 
There is no regulation requiring you to call each time at any specific point. However, there is a regulation which says you can't land without a landing clearance. Put that together with the recommendations in the AIM, and you really should call before turning base if tower has said nothing to you since you last took off. What you really don't want is to be approaching the runway threshold without a clearance and just as you are about to query the Tower, someone comes on with a long transmission which prevents you from making that query before you have to go around for lack of a landing clearance.
 
Remember too, to pay attention to any pattern directions you are given. It's common when doing pattern work at a towered airport that tower will have you make right traffic and left traffic during the same session.
 
If I have not been contacted to get clearance to land and I am just flying the pattern, I won't turn base... much easier to extend the downwind. Out local class C (KRNO) encourages flying the pattern there as it gets their landing numbers up which I am told helps gather FAA funding for the Tower there.
 
I can agree with vigilance. Last week at our busy airport I was cleared for the option #2 for 16, but was told to extend downwind due to Citation. When he passed, I turned base, then final making sure I was above his flight path. Some guy in a Diamondstar called in to join pattern. Controller told him cleared to land #2, following Archer 1.5 to 2 mile final. The guy said he had traffic in sight and repeated #2 for 16. Next thing I know I see the guy turn base crabbing in right in front of me. And was a few hundred feet in front posing a separation issue. Called tower told them I was doing a go around to east (we were doing LH patterns). Decided to call it a night as the guy in the Diamondstar intended to continue to do pattern work.
 
Pilot Nick said:
New Private pilot here. Are there any mandatory reporting points after making contact with ATC and gaining permission to enter the airspace while VFR?
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Only what you're instructed to report.

A for instance are touch and goes in class D. I was cleared for the option and not told to report again. I often come all the way around to short final before getting cleared again. Should I have called tower on the downwind anyways?
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Maybe. If there's other traffic the controller may have busied himself with a call on downwind would be a good idea. It brings his attention back to you at a point where he still has some options in sequencing traffic.
 
Pilot Nick said:
New Private pilot here. Are there any mandatory reporting points after making contact with ATC and gaining permission to enter the airspace while VFR?

A for instance are touch and goes in class D. I was cleared for the option and not told to report again. I often come all the way around to short final before getting cleared again. Should I have called tower on the downwind anyways?
Click to expand...

I fly out of a Class D airport. Typically, on initial call, we are told to report either midfield downwind or a 3 mile right/left base. It all depends on which way we're approaching from. Now the other day, I was NE of the airport and they gave me straight in for 23. As I said, it usually depends on how busy they are.

And as another poster said, just stay flexible.
 
Ron Levy said:
There is no regulation requiring you to call each time at any specific point. However, there is a regulation which says you can't land without a landing clearance.

and you really should call before turning base if tower has said nothing to you since you last took off. .
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That's the bottom line right there really.

At Van Nuys it can go either way, but I have got in the habit of calling **** in down wind abeam, and you can get either a clearance from there, or they tell you to extend and they will call your base, or your number 3 and report traffic, etc.
If they are not busy they often call you before you get a chance to call them, but if they are busy I have been waaaayyy down wind before they get to me. Calling them gets you in the flow. When in doubt ASK
 
OK - a question from a guy who normally flies in class D: do you turn base prior to getting cleared to land? I try real hard to avoid that situation, so if I haven't heard from tower by the time I start my downwind GUMPS I add a tower call to the list.
 
Matthew said:
OK - a question from a guy who normally flies in class D: do you turn base prior to getting cleared to land? I try real hard to avoid that situation, so if I haven't heard from tower by the time I start my downwind GUMPS I add a tower call to the list.
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If not cleared to land I advise a call to the tower before turning base.
 
Matthew said:
OK - a question from a guy who normally flies in class D: do you turn base prior to getting cleared to land? I try real hard to avoid that situation, so if I haven't heard from tower by the time I start my downwind GUMPS I add a tower call to the list.
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I do. If there was traffic to follow tower will either extend and call base or issue traffic to sequence number two. If I'm on final and I still hear nothing, I ask.

I've flown into plenty of places where it's common practice for tower issue "report base" every time. At Ft Rucker stage fields it's SOP to report base with intentions. Many times tower is so busy you can't even get the report in. I'm not going to continue on base forever. Gotta turn final and try and get a quick final report out to get a clearance.

Once again, different techniques for different airports. Generally a controller doesn't need a report. They should be scanning the sky, looking at radar (if available) and keeping track of who's who. Only times I've told someone to report is if I was confused with their position and needed to get my strip board in order.
 
Just don't expect ATC to be perfect. They are human, just like the pilots. And YOU are PIC, so if anything makes you uncomfortable, ask. They make mistakes fairly often, usually minor.
 
Velocity173 said:
Once again, different techniques for different airports. Generally a controller doesn't need a report. They should be scanning the sky, looking at radar (if available) and keeping track of who's who. Only times I've told someone to report is if I was confused with their position and needed to get my strip board in order.
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This is the important point. Most often the tower is very clear on what they want you to do, and when to report. If you are confused as to what they want you to do(meaning you are not 100% certain for me) ask them. I would rather the tower(or someone else in the ATC system) be perturbed and think I am a raving idiot, than do something to likewise perturb them and prove to them that I am a raving idiot. Though to be honest I do not remember anytime that I have gotten attitude from a controller because I asked for clarification, even more than once.
 
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If I'm doing closed traffic, the tower normally keeps tabs on what I'm doing. They'll either give me left or right traffic or let me choose if it's not busy. Then most of the time, when I turn downwind, around midfield, they will either tell me to extend my downwind and at some point after that clear me to turn base and cleared for the option, or just clear me to land/clear for the option.

Twice I think the tower has forgotten about me as my "extended downwind" has put me 4-5 miles out, at that point a simple call asking if I'm cleared to turn base normally gets me a landing clearance :)

This is class C though, class D may be a bit different.
 
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