Help - Why 'O Why?

[mattius]

ATC- Landing clearance!!!!!

When flying IFR flights I nearly always get handed of to Tower too late. By the time I get landing clearance I am already on final approach. Surely I should receive hand off earlier, as to abort, due to negative landing clearance seems unrealistic. I mean gow many planes to you see getting very near the runway & then climbing again unless of course thet are on a GO AROUND. Is there any way to get handoff earlier. What exactly triggers handoff to tower.

[picaso]

Hi Mattius

Certainly it doesn't seems real to get landing clearance at 4 nm from the runway, specially if you find out that you are number 2 or 3 for landing, and the tower sends you to "go around" when you are almost touching the runway.

Unfortunately I don't think there is a way to change it, if somebody knows how, I will be happy to know.


Picaso

[mdklatt]

FS ATC usually tells tells you to contact the tower at the outer marker on an ILS approach, or about 5 miles out. This is typical in real life too. Approach clearances are usually something like "cleared for the localizer approach...contact tower on 118.0 at the marker." At major airports where they've got a dozen planes spread out along a 30 mile final the tower handoff will be farther out.

The "tower" in ATC monitors your position relative to the approach end of the active runway. When you are within a certain radius you will be given landing clearance. If you're not getting landing clearance, make sure you're remembering to actually contact the tower and that you're trying to land on the correct runway.

[mattius]

You could be right. I think my problem is as follows. When I report my position it says "Callsign - you are 5 miles S.E. of the airport". This is clearly inaccurate as I can see the airport from my cockpit & I'm sure as hell it's a lot nearer!

Comments?

[flyinggriffin]

Have you tried checking your distance from the airport via DME?

[xplanefanatic]

This, I think is the same as all the other questions that I have heard recently. This is just a, I cringe when I say this....Game, It's just a game. With this issue it sounds like it is closely modeled to what happens in the real word. The outer marker is when you get handed over, unless as has already been stated, that there are planes at around 30 mile final with horrendous amounts of traffic. When I flew out of Orlando Exec on a daily basis the atc there would take you at around 10 miles, (that was when we hit the predetermined spot. The school had coordinated with atc to always leave in a predetermined way, as well as our return(we had to stay under 1500 ft due to KMCO bravo airspace). The same when we came in we called over the water tower, which was about 10 miles out. With a ga a/c they will usually get handed off at the outer marker, which is roughly 5 miles. Tune in the localizer and look at the dme and that should clarify it. Best of luck to ya.

:):):) ****What goes up must come down, no matter how hard or soft.........Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing..... :):):)

[cat]

I hear voices too Mattius. I'm going to break into my
computer box and give these people (controllers)
a real thrashing! Teach 'em a lesson! Get off
their asses and do things right! (Wink!)
Peter Sydney Australia