Question: already cleared to land .... twr then cleared me to "land long". Why?

woodchucker

woodchucker

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woodchucker
This happened over a year ago flying into KVGT, but it's been a nagging question.

I was already cleared to land, but my entry was abnormally high, as I had been at the approach assigned altitude (wish I could remember exactly but well above a standard entry). I went into a forward slip and took that from a left base almost to the runway. In any case, I was still high crossing the threshold, and while I'm always prepared for a go-around, I knew I had enough runway to get her down.

In any case at about that time, while I'm focused on getting the plane configured for landing, tower comes on and tells me that "landing long" is approved, which I felt compelled to acknowledge. Why that additional clearance?

It is my understanding that once you are cleared to land, the entire runway is yours (LAHSO obviously being an exception).
 
Perhaps nobody is coming up behind you and rather than you fight to get it down, its enouraged for you to land long and exit at the end of the runway. Its his way of letting you know "no pressure", or that the expectation to be down on the 1st third of the runway is not in play.

As opposed to a big fast mover coming up your six that he wont want to send around, and you feeling the perceived pressure to get down, get stopped and get off the runway ASAP..
 
If you're busy getting the plane configured or something else like already in the flare, then don't feel "compelled" to acknowledge a useless transmission.
Once I was waiting for takeoff behind a Baron, when he was in the middle of his TO roll, the tower gave him a new squawk code from approach. Even on a VFR day like it was, the tower could have given the new code after TO and not while he was rolling down the runway and at a critical time of the flight. I thought that was really poor timing.
At my home airport when I come in and land, the tower is so used to asking everyone for parking info while on the landing roll, that they ask me all the time, "where are you parking".
I always just ignore them and don't call until I'm off the runway and have the plane under control, on occasion they've asked while I still have the tail up and I'm dealing with a crosswind.
I know this won't play at every airport, but KANE is a pretty simple airport layout and I always go back to my hangar, never anywhere else, so they should know that.
 
First off, there is no reason to feel compelled to acknowledge a transmission while you are on final. ATC wasn't expecting you to. In those cases, I either quietly receive and process, or I click the mic once or twice as a nod that I understand.

As for him/her telling you to land long, sounds like they were just being nice and trying to take off any pressure that you may have felt to land in the first 3rd of the runway.
 
As a former controller, you are correct, the entire runway is yours. There are times when a controller shouldn't transmit unless absolutely necessary. IMO he/she should not have transmitted that as you were landing, and two, liability. If you landed long and went off the end, then the controller might have been cited as a contributing factor.
 
I agree that it was just an encouragement from the nice tower guy.

Now I have a different question for you, Woodchucker:
How much wood ......... :D
 
When my airport is landing to the south, some flight schools are located at the turn off at the end of runway so they'll ask for a long landing. My flight school is located at the north end of the airport so if we're landing to the north I'll ask for a long landing if it's not too busy.
 
Maybe because your destination was towards the end of the runway?
 
Cajun_Flyer said:
First off, there is no reason to feel compelled to acknowledge a transmission while you are on final. ATC wasn't expecting you to. In those cases, I either quietly receive and process, or I click the mic once or twice as a nod that I understand.

As for him/her telling you to land long, sounds like they were just being nice and trying to take off any pressure that you may have felt to land in the first 3rd of the runway.
Click to expand...
:yeahthat:
 
I've been told by the tower to go around before, when I was a student pilot, because the tower perceived my approach to be too high.
 
You don't mention whether a big bird may have preceded you. Sometimes they give you that call to encourage you to land beyond the wingtip vortex generation point.
 
Well it's like my transition instructor. He was a stickler on landing on the center line. So when I off to the right or left he would say. "Bugsmasher 1234 now arriving ONE SIX LEFT" Letting me know once again that those 6 inches do matter.
 
oldShar said:
You don't mention whether a big bird may have preceded you. Sometimes they give you that call to encourage you to land beyond the wingtip vortex generation point.
Click to expand...

That calls for a "caution wake turbulence...", nothing more or less.
 
mscard88 said:
As a former controller, you are correct, the entire runway is yours. There are times when a controller shouldn't transmit unless absolutely necessary. IMO he/she should not have transmitted that as you were landing, and two, liability. If you landed long and went off the end, then the controller might have been cited as a contributing factor.
Click to expand...

They just have to issue the correct clearance:

"A DC-10 had come in a little hot and thus had an exceedingly long roll out after touching down. San Jose Tower noted: “American 751, make a hard right turn at the end of the runway, if you are able. If you are not able, take the Guadalupe exit off Highway 101, make a right at the lights and return to the airport.”

From http://aviationhumor.net/atc-quotes/#
 
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