How common it this for visual approach?

skidoo

skidoo

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skidoo
How common is this for visual approach?

So, I get vectored for a visual approach. I am about 6+ miles on an effective downwind and about 4300 AGL. At this point, I'm cleared for the visual approach and to contact tower. I contact tower, the know where I am and altitude and they say clear to land. Just over 5 minutes later, I touch down.

This was certainly easy, But, I am wondering how common is it to be vectored that far out and high and get cleared to land? I don't know why they didn't get me lower first...
 
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Bored and no other traffic? Surprised tower could see you that far out though. Usually that would be a "not in sight" call before the clearance.

Back before the overhead became VFR at the initial, we'd clear them 30 miles out if no one was in front of them. "Cleared visual approach via the overhead rwy 5 contact tower."

As long as they give you plenty of latitude to maneuver, I font see any problem with it.
 
Depending on what runway FRG is using, I'll get a vector over Kennedy around 3000 ft or get 3000 over the south shore. Around 7 miles out I'll get "descend and maintain 2000 until adviced by Republic tower, cleared visual runway XX. If the airport is dead I would expect to get cleared to land on initial contact with tower
 
skidoo said:
So, I get vectored for a visual approach. I am about 6+ miles on an effective downwind and about 4300 AGL. At this point, I'm cleared for the visual approach and to contact tower. I contact tower, the know where I am and altitude and they say clear to land. Just over 5 minutes later, I touch down.

This was certainly easy, But, I am wondering how common is it to be vectored that far out and high and get cleared to land? I don't know why they didn't get me lower first...
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Might be airspace or radar coverage limitations. They can't vector you lower than MVA no matter how good the weather is.
 
Happens all the time at underutilized-yet-inexplicably-towered airports.

We landed at McAllen last week. Mary was cleared to land 12 miles out. Same thing happened the week before at Lonestar Regional (near Houston).
 
Happens all the time in KRAP on slow days, controller depending.
 
skidoo said:
So, I get vectored for a visual approach. I am about 6+ miles on an effective downwind and about 4300 AGL. At this point, I'm cleared for the visual approach and to contact tower. I contact tower, the know where I am and altitude and they say clear to land. Just over 5 minutes later, I touch down.

This was certainly easy, But, I am wondering how common is it to be vectored that far out and high and get cleared to land? I don't know why they didn't get me lower first...
Click to expand...

If you were in Montana or in those parts, very common.
 
I travel a lot at night and the wee hours, it's common to get cleared to land on first contact with the tower, I might be one of half a dozen in a 6 hr period.
 
skidoo said:
So, I get vectored for a visual approach. I am about 6+ miles on an effective downwind and about 4300 AGL. At this point, I'm cleared for the visual approach and to contact tower. I contact tower, the know where I am and altitude and they say clear to land. Just over 5 minutes later, I touch down.

This was certainly easy, But, I am wondering how common is it to be vectored that far out and high and get cleared to land? I don't know why they didn't get me lower first...
Click to expand...

Depends how busy the field is and how confident ATC is that you will be entering a relatively idle airspace when you arrive.
 
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Jay Honeck said:
Happens all the time at underutilized-yet-inexplicably-towered airports.

We landed at McAllen last week. Mary was cleared to land 12 miles out. Same thing happened the week before at Lonestar Regional (near Houston).
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What was your AGL altitude?
 
Yeah, I don't like that. Too far away to clear me guy. Ask him "Mind if I ask you a question? Why are you clearing me from 12 miles out?"
 
Come to think of it, my last XC, I began my decent from 11miles out and contacted tower. They told me to report downwind, so on a lazy day I can see 12 miles as not a big deal.
 
coloradobluesky said:
Yeah, I don't like that. Too far away to clear me guy. Ask him "Mind if I ask you a question? Why are you clearing me from 12 miles out?"
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The answer is typically, "There is no one else flying in this sector of the state." As I said, I find it in the normal set of options of responses I get on first call to tower at night. There just isn't a lot of traffic at night.
 
In the Husky, I just land on the farm below where I'm cleared! :)

I mean, he did clear me to land, right?
 
coloradobluesky said:
Yeah, I don't like that. Too far away to clear me guy. Ask him "Mind if I ask you a question? Why are you clearing me from 12 miles out?"
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Nothing wrong with asking the question but why do you think 12 miles is "too far". In Colorado you can often see the airport at 12 miles, especially if you are on the high side.
 
Everskyward said:
Nothing wrong with asking the question but why do you think 12 miles is "too far". In Colorado you can often see the airport at 12 miles, especially if you are on the high side.
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12? Make it 50 or more!

12? One of my best memories from my training was my night dual cross country. We were heading into KBDL in Connecticut and called approach. After reporting "in sight" to the controller's "Airport 12 o'clock 12 miles. Report airport in sight" query, he said, "Cleared to land Runway 24."
 
midlifeflyer said:
12? Make it 50 or more!

12? One of my best memories from my training was my night dual cross country. We were heading into KBDL in Connecticut and called approach. After reporting "in sight" to the controller's "Airport 12 o'clock 12 miles. Report airport in sight" query, he said, "Cleared to land Runway 24."
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Approaching KAPA at night from the southwest we frequently get "cleared for the visual" when we report the airport in sight, then "cleared to land" after being handed off to tower. This is all from far greater than 12 miles.
 
Thanks for the answers... Sounds like it is indeed common.
 
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