Approach to Tower Handoff

[ferrari-tech]

I would concur with sloppy ATC. I believe the correct phraseology is "enter right downwind, cleared visual approach 27R. Contact tower xxx." That's what I always hear and seems to be the correct phraseology.

I guess it must depend on the tower/controller. Like I said KVNY are always very precise ( I'm sure they know my aircraft has always got a student in it).
Again depending where you are coming from, I've been given everything from "enter right base and cleared to land 16R" while 5-6 miles out, enter left/right down wind, report traffic, or report abeam the tower what ever they want they instruct.

One thing someone else mentioned about calling the tower after a hand off from approach is it correct, just to basically contact them, I was told if approach hands you off, tower knows who you are and where you are and what your doing. Thoughts on that ?

 

[roncachamp]

I would concur with sloppy ATC. I believe the correct phraseology is "enter right downwind, cleared visual approach 27R. Contact tower xxx." That's what I always hear and seems to be the correct phraseology.

The OP sayeth:

When flying in Class C for landing, approaching the airport from the northeast, 10 miles out...

Approach control says something like "continue west, plan right traffic for 27R", so a turn due west is made.

Might have been sloppy ATC, but we really can't draw that conclusion given that the OP isn't certain what was said.

 

[DesertNomad]

The OP sayeth:


Might have been sloppy ATC, but we really can't draw that conclusion given that the OP isn't certain what was said.

I know exactly what was said. I was told to stay north of a highway and to plan right traffic... no specific entry was given, just to plan for right traffic. I did stay north of the highway as requested until tower cleared me to land.

Note: I have changed the orientation of the airport and entry for this post to make it a bit more clear and at the same time more generic in terms of approach-tower handoffs and clearances.

 

[airdale]

Not sure I want to call the tower since they may think nothing of it.

I'm not sure what you're afraid of. They can't bite you over the phone.

Seriously, I call a tower, TRACON, or Center probably two or three times a year when I have an ATC question. I have never found anyone to be anything but helpful and generous with their time. Just tell whoever answers the phone that you're a pilot with an ATC question. Usually you're already talking to a duty supervisor and he/she will be happy to help. The nice thing is that they are usually 24x7 so when the question arises you can pick up the phone. I have all the numbers in my cell phone for the radio-failure day anyway.

 

[Ghery]

I think the tower dropped the ball on this one. Mine always gives pattern entry instructions. But that's probably because we're very busy with three runways. Example:

Approach: "Mooney 12345, contact Centennial Tower."

Me: "Centennial Tower, Mooney 12345, 10 miles north, inbound for landing with alpha."

Tower: Roger Mooney 12345. Make left traffic 35L, report midfield downwind."

etc.

I'd turn direct to a point about 1/4 to 1/2 mile out and on the extended centerline of 27R, and when I got there make a right turn to line up and land.

Coming back to OLM from PUW last Saturday SEA approach turned me over to OLM Twr while I was 8-10 miles out. Had been told to expect the visual to rwy 35. Called the tower and was cleared to land on 35. Nothing said about a pattern entry or anything like that. I did what Roncachamp said he'd do. Made for a point a bit more than 1/2 mile out and then turned for the runway. No problem from the tower.

 

[roncachamp]

I know exactly what was said.

Then why did you include "Approach control says something like" in your tale?

 

[fiveoboy01]

Approach usually hands me off to tower as far as 8-10 miles out. The tower is always specific about a straight in approach or entry to a left or right base.

If they didn't specify, I might assume straight-in but I'd ask for clarification. If I'm not sure about something, I ask.

 

[DesertNomad]

Coming back to OLM from PUW last Saturday SEA approach turned me over to OLM Twr while I was 8-10 miles out. Had been told to expect the visual to rwy 35. Called the tower and was cleared to land on 35. Nothing said about a pattern entry or anything like that. I did what Roncachamp said he'd do. Made for a point a bit more than 1/2 mile out and then turned for the runway. No problem from the tower.

Now if they had told you "expect right downwind for 35", then you called the tower and they said "clear to land 35", and you were currently southeast of the field, what would you do?

 

[DesertNomad]

Then why did you include "Approach control says something like" in your tale?

Because they said other things too. They advised me of traffic for the parallel and what type of plane it was and said that tower could work me in, etc.

The important part was to remain on a given side of a highway and to plan a given traffic for a given runway.

 

[DanielH]

In all my experiences, granted most of them have been at Class C, the tower controller has known exactly what I have been told by previous controllers and where I am. The next controller always seems to have any requests that I have asked for too. Contacting tower for me usually consists of "N12345 visual runway xx" or "N12345 ILS runway xx".

I guess it must depend on the tower/controller. Like I said KVNY are always very precise ( I'm sure they know my aircraft has always got a student in it).
Again depending where you are coming from, I've been given everything from "enter right base and cleared to land 16R" while 5-6 miles out, enter left/right down wind, report traffic, or report abeam the tower what ever they want they instruct.

One thing someone else mentioned about calling the tower after a hand off from approach is it correct, just to basically contact them, I was told if approach hands you off, tower knows who you are and where you are and what your doing. Thoughts on that ?

 

[DesertNomad]

Tower was definitely unsure of what I was told by approach. The Tower controller asked if I was given a right downwind entry, when I was not given any entry at all, only told to plan for a right entry (approach said nothing about downwind or base).

A NASA report is being filed.

 

[ferrari-tech]

In all my experiences, granted most of them have been at Class C, the tower controller has known exactly what I have been told by previous controllers and where I am. The next controller always seems to have any requests that I have asked for too. Contacting tower for me usually consists of "N12345 visual runway xx" or "N12345 ILS runway xx".

Yep that's pretty much how it is for me in the class C and D around here,
If approach hands me off to tower, I generally just call and say " VNY tower Cessna ****B with you, in bound for landing/option" etc, to which I get a "****B continue inbound, or report location XX"

If I have just been VFR without talking to anyone then, tower gets the correct, " who I am, where I am and what I want to do"

That's the way I am being taught.

 

[Ghery]

Now if they had told you "expect right downwind for 35", then you called the tower and they said "clear to land 35", and you were currently southeast of the field, what would you do?

That would have been a complete surprise. I was on an IFR flight plan and they knew exactly where I was. A right downwind entry wouldn't have made any sense at all. I was SE of the field. And, if approach had said "expect right downwind for 35" and the tower said "clear to land 35" I would have flown the approach just as I did. Nowhere in that exchange would I have been directed to enter a right downwind for 35. Plus, there would have been vectors given earlier to line me up for it (even on a CAVU day). Remember, I was IFR at the time (even though the weather was VMC).

 

[jpower]

Something somewhat similar happened to me today. I flew into Bradley, a Class C, and approach told me "Fly heading 070" and then less than a minute later, they sent me over to tower who said "make straight in." So I made a beeline for the numbers...at 120 knots until short final. It felt soooo fast in the 172...