Clear for landing

**nsiebold** · 05-31-2006, 05:39 PM

On average, how long does it take to get landing clearance after you first contact the tower?

**bjpilot** · 05-31-2006, 06:22 PM

In real life, or on the simulator? In real life, it depends on if you are VFR or IFR, etc... Usually, VFR, you will get landing clearance when about abeam the threshold on downwind, but this is traffic dependant. When on an instrument approach, they will usually tell you to reoprt at the FAF (final approach fix), and once you report there, they'll clear you to land.

***loki*** · 05-31-2006, 06:27 PM

When VFR I've had to wait as long as a very short final before being cleared to land. As in I was half a mile or less from the runway before the runway was clear. Other times I have been cleared to land as soon as I turned downwind. It all depends on traffic.

loki

**lnuss** · 05-31-2006, 08:46 PM

In FS I don't know how to predict it. In real life, there's no hard and fast rule, and it depends, as indicated in the above posts, on the specific conditions. Even VFR, with little traffic, I've occasionally had a landing clearance several miles out, though that's the exception, and I've also had clearance on final, another exception. Usually it'll be on downwind or, if not flying the full pattern, it may be on base leg, or even on a couple of miles final. Basically, it depends on the controller's judgement of when you actually are sufficiently clear of other traffic and conditions are right to give you the clearance.

**Aarinu** · 06-01-2006, 10:22 AM

Depends where I'm flying into really. Small controlled fields usually get it at midfield downwind. At large airports such as Indianapolis International or Midway Airport I get them at about 1 mile final. I've never flown a standard pattern at either of this airports.

**flyinggriffin** · 06-01-2006, 01:38 PM

One night just before the tower at KSCH was closing I was turned over to them from approach. I did the usual cold call of just my N number and type. Not only did the tower acknowledge my call, but gave me a clearance to land and to taxi to the ramp and then shut down. I was about 5 miles out. Oh, it was about 1am in the morning and very dead so I was the only one around.

**rsdyrda** · 06-01-2006, 02:15 PM

>One night just before the tower at KSCH was closing I was
>turned over to them from approach. I did the usual cold call
>of just my N number and type. Not only did the tower
>acknowledge my call, but gave me a clearance to land and to
>taxi to the ramp and then shut down. I was about 5 miles out.
>Oh, it was about 1am in the morning and very dead so I was the
>only one around.

yes they are in a hurry to leave. one night after going around due to severe wind shear at KXNA we reported to the tower that we were going around, flying 090 and climbing to 5000 as we were not going to fly the published missed through the weather, and reported SEVERE wind shear (+45kt gain at 1000') and turbulence. their reply.

"thank you. we're closing for the evening. contact memphis center on..."