Reporting Instructions

K

Kalikiano

New Member
I was coming in at KPFN and was told to report 3mile right base for hmm think its 32. well about 4 miles out I was told clear to land 32. When given the clear to land in situations like this, does that always nullify or clear out the report requests. I did not report instead just landed because of the clear to land.

The tower isn't very busy so I didnt think it was a big deal but I didnt know the official ruling for things like this.
 
Sometimes it hard for them to see where you are depending how big your airplane is. If they can see where you are and if there is nobody else there they will clear you to land, if they do then you don't have to report a 3 mile finial.
 
I would say yes a landing clearence nullifies the reporting instruction but that is from my personal experience.

and make sure you ALWAYS report it otherwise. I got a bit of a chewing once because I couldn't get a word in between a King Air and tower going back and forth
icon_rolleyes.gif
 
The landing clearance voids the mileage report. Usually a tower will ask you to make a 2 or 3 mile report to 1. remind them of you coming in to land, 2. to see how your entry to the pattern will end up working out, 3. give them some time still/ a good distance for judging to make all of the rest of the aircraft mold into the pattern.

My airport has a bright-scope from approach and we have to get a code from APP before heading in from the practice area so usually the controllers know where we are but 1200 aircraft or even when the controllers get busy and start ditching the bright-scope they will issue the mileage calls.
 
jdilfan, while everything you said is correct, one of the biggest reasons for a reporting point is that in a VFR tower, if an airplane is not tagged up, we have to have the aircraft in sight to clear it to land. An aircraft can be cleared to land if not seen by saying "Aircraft ID, NOT IN SIGHT, RUNWAY xx CLEARED TO LAND", and towers without a DBrite may have to do this if the airport is IMC, since it may be impossible to see the aircraft until it is on a really short final...but yes, if a tower clears you to land, that means that they have met the requirements they need to clear you, so therefore do not need the report anymore.
 
FYI

"not in sight" need only be said if the aircraft is only at a point where it normally SHOULD be seen. If you're 5 miles out and not normally seen from the cab at that point then it doesn't need to be said.

also, if your aircraft's position is "observed" (not radar identified) on the tower radar display then "not in sight" does not need to be said
 
I need to read up on towers. Never heard of a VFR tower or had a tower tell me not in sight.

little bit of googling and I came up with a tower that doesn't have its own App/Departure service.

So using KPFN as an example you come in on Kendall Approach then they say contact Panama City tower. Does that mean KPFN is probably a VFR tower?
 
It depends on the tower and what type of service it provides. If the tower cannot provide any radar services, ie: radar identification & vectors, it's most likely a vfr tower. Some towers, even though not the primary class B or C tower, use a tower radar display for certain operations.

The airport at the center of the class B or C airspace (aka the "Primary" airport) has an approach control dedicated to it and is therefore an approach controlled tower/airfield.

I think there's more technicality to this, but that's my long story short.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top