Altitude and Class C.

desertdog71

desertdog71

Girthy Member
Just a question for the ATC guys. This is something I have run into several times and was curious to see if I am doing something wrong.

Here is an example. I fly into Tulsa quite often and several times I have had to request a lower altitude so I could make a normal approach. They always seem to hold me up at 4500-5500 and never say anything about altitude only headings to fly. I was forced to request a right 360 on final once because I was 2 miles out on final before being allowed to descend. I have never been told to hold a specific altitude but I was under the impression I would be told to descend when that wanted me to.

My question is: Should I just ask for lower when I want it?
or
Am I assuming they are holding me at a specific altitude when in fact they are not?

This applies to small GA airplanes I am flying in VMC.

Thanks
 
Happens to me all the time at Salt Lake Int'l (class B). Get left at 6000' until turning final, then have to dive bomb it in.
 
Doesn't hurt to ask for lower.... If there is a reason for keeping you up high just explain that you are going to need a 360.
 
VMC or VFR?
If VFR, just tell em you're starting the descent. They'll say "roger".
If IFR, just ask for lower, and if you think it is because of minimum vectoring altitudes, tell them you can maintain your own terrain clearance.
Also, if you're IFR and cleared for the visual approach, that gives you an automatic authority to descend at your discretion. That is, unless they give you an explicit instruction to maintain an altitude until a certain point. For example, when landing south at MCO, they will clear a flight for a visual approach, but instruct them to maintain at or above 2,500 or 3,000 (can't remember exactly) until south of the ORL VOR.
 
In my experience they will say 'maintain VFR, advise any altitude change'.

So I would say, call them and tell them you intend to start a VFR descent for the airport.
 
bLizZuE said:
In my experience they will say 'maintain VFR, advise any altitude change'.

So I would say, call them and tell them you intend to start a VFR descent for the airport.
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:yeahthat: If I haven't been given an altitude restriction, I just advise that I am starting a VFR descent to the airport. I haven't had any problems doing it that way.
 
This is probably well known, but my .02 anyway.

ATC has the option to assign an altitude or impose an altitude restriction in Class C, primarily for traffic separation. If not so restricted by ATC, you may change altitudes at your discretion. It is good practice to advise ATC of altitude changes though, even when VFR. If assigned an altitude, a request for a different altitude is certainly appropriate.
 
zmiller4 said:
I'm going to guess that has something to do with you all getting in our way. :)
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For some reason I gather that you're a jet driver for the airlines. Do you remember the last time you took that piss test for your drug program? Those guys that got in your way were carrying it to the lab so you could keep flying.
 
desertdog71 said:
I'll remember that next time I fly the Twin Comanche and they ask me to slow down on Final because an ERJ is in front of me. :)
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I'll never forget the time we were bookin' it into San Diego in a Bonanza trying to keep our speed up for the jet traffic, when approach told us to slow it down for an A320 ahead of us.
 
meritflyer said:
Jet drivers.. think they own the sky.
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Jeez people, I was attempting sarcasm/humor. I've never had a problem whatsoever with GA in SLC. I'm actually amazed that they keep everything as compartamentalized and orderly as they do, and I realize that the skill and situational awareness of the GA/freight folks is what keeps my life easy.

SLC center, though, is a different story.
 
I'm still trying to figure out how this happened one day. Me and a friend were flying aCessna 206 on a normal ILS into BNA on one of the right-hand parallel runways and we broke out probably somewhere around 2,000 or so and we passed an ERJ-135 or 145 on an ILS for one of the other parallels. I don't remember our speed exactly but it was a normal approach speed. I mean we didn't have Rental Power set or anything. And on another note I remember my private training in a Pa-38-112 (Piper Tomahawk). I used to love going into Norfolk Int'l class C and see a 737 or a Dash-8 holding short waiting for my slow rear-end to land. Quite a rush.
 
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