12 miles WNW of a controlled field, way off centerline, and told to make "straight-in approach"

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allPrimes

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allPrimes
I'm a low-ish time private pilot. I know "straight-in approach is in the pilot/controller glossary:

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I was about 12 miles WNW of KBZN and Big Sky Approach had just handed me off to tower. Tower said "continue for straight-in approach" for runway 12.

Would you interpret this to mean that I should have made a base turn 12 miles out from the runway, then turn final, or literally continue straight in from where I was?

I continued literally straight in as controller said "continue for straight-in approach" and there was no issue. I've been coming in for full-stop landings from other non-centerline approaches before and have been told "make straight-in approach" after which I have turned to intercept centerline then subsequently have been told by KBZN controllers "no need for a base, just come straight in" which has confused me.

I read the glossary as "find the centerline from wherever you are, then come in" but it seems like controllers here suggest it as "just come straight in from wherever you are."
 
To runway 11? Sounds like u were mostly aligned with the runway, so just shoot straight in, literally. I’m not used to getting that instruction unless I’m pretty close to being aligned with the runway already.
 
That happens quite often at KGTF also . Just continue on your route till it intersects the center line a then turn on to final approach.
Interesting in that KBZN is Montanas bussiest airport .
That fact came from the monthly " Montana and the Sky " publication.
 
Southpaw said:
That happens quite often at KGTF also . Just continue on your route till it intersects the center line a then turn on to final approach.
Interesting in that KBZN is Montanas bussiest airport .
That fact came from the monthly " Montana and the Sky " publication.
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Has been for a few years now, hasn't it?
 
I'm guessing that the controller didn't expect you to do a downwind or base. just come on straight (as possible) in.
 
I think I get the confusion. Imagine a point a half mile or so before the runway, on the runway center line, fly to that, and turn to land when you get to that point.

As others have said, "straight in" specifically means don't fly any pattern. But it also doesn't mean you have to turn from headed to the airport to runway heading over the runway. You have to have a bit of room to setup your approach. How far depends a bit on you and the plane.

Oh, and probably goes without saying, but they're probably going to assume maintaining cruise speed until you get kinda close. Aircraft and pilot dependent, again.
 
The best way is to proceed direct to a point .5nm straight off the end of the runway. If that's not convenient, fly straight for the threshold (or approach lights if you can see them) and then correct your runway alignment about .5nm from the runway. The pattern doesn't have to be perfectly square.
 
Think of a standard pattern...I take that instruction as direct from my current position to the intersection of the base to final turn...or maybe a little before if you want more time to line up...long story short just means the controller is not expecting you to fly any part of the pattern on your approach to land other then final and just shoot for the numbers
 
Doesn't sound like "way off" means what you think it means.
 
Like others have said. Fly towards the centerline at your discretion and from there straight in. No downwind. No base. Make for the numbers.
 
You’d be surprised at how mysterious straight ins for students are that are used to patterns at an uncontrolled field.

I make it a point to do straight ins sometimes. When do you start your descend? When do you put flaps out? Those are questions new pilots don’t think about if all their training was flying rectangles.

I also go to the towered fields in the area often specifically so they get right traffic, odd entries, and such.
 
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I get this once in while too, but sometimes it means I have to pass through another delta’s airspace. When that happens I just maneuver to avoid the other delta unless tower specifically clears me through their airspace.
 
Bonchie said:
I make it a point to do straight ins sometimes. When do you start your descend? When do you put flaps out? Those are questions new pilots don’t think about if all their training was flying rectangles.
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Very common at FDK to get the straight in to 23 from anywhere north to northeast and when I was doing my PPL the instructor would bring up the ILS to help me visualize that descent path I should be on.

As others have noted, if not aligned I shoot for being aligned at the spot I'd turn from base to final in a normal pattern.
 
So you were over Land of Magic and were given a "straight in"? :D

Yeah, I'd just aim for a .5 mile final.
 
I have had a similar instruction, only was told something like (it has been awhile) “make straight for the numbers, cleared to land runway 18.” I was something like 45 degrees off runway heading.
 
This happened to me and my friend the other day at Ocala. We were about 3 mi at a diagonal from the runway. I hear another plane radio about 6 mi away. Tower tells them straight in approach. Tower then tells us in a 152 to come straight in to land. At that point we were more for a right base to final. So I told my friend to radio back if he wanted a base or straight in. So now the tower says...fly straight towards the runway. Well the other plane is now about 4-5 mi away. Soon after the tower tells us to hurry up... we are like ummmm we are in a 152.
 
francisco collazos said:
This happened to me and my friend the other day at Ocala. We were about 3 mi at a diagonal from the runway. I hear another plane radio about 6 mi away. Tower tells them straight in approach. Tower then tells us in a 152 to come straight in to land. At that point we were more for a right base to final. So I told my friend to radio back if he wanted a base or straight in. So now the tower says...fly straight towards the runway. Well the other plane is now about 4-5 mi away. Soon after the tower tells us to hurry up... we are like ummmm we are in a 152.
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Reminds me of a story that my primary CFI used to tell about one of his clients landing at San Francisco International in a 152. They wanted him to go faster too!
 
Palmpilot said:
Reminds me of a story that my primary CFI used to tell about one of his clients landing at San Francisco International in a 152. They wanted him to go faster too!
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I had that happen at MLU when working on my instrument rating. We were just at the Initial Approach fix in a 172 when approach asks us to "Maintain Maximum Forward Speed, MD-80 5 miles behind you."

My response, "This IS our maximum forward speed, would you like to vector us out for another approach?"
 
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