"Julian Scarfe" wrote in message
...
[...]
Thus the level of confusion/incompetence/distraction required for the
controller to "clear an airplane to land right on top of you" would be
very
much greater in the UK. [...]
In the UK it would require a major mistake as to fact, not just a mistaken
expectation.

Yes, there is definitely an operational difference between landings
clearances in the US and in the UK, just as there are differences in what
qualifies an airport for a tower, and the nature of taxiways at various
airports. I do recognize that flying the US is often very different from
flying elsewhere, and my comments are specifically with respect to my own
experiences in the US. They may or may not be applicable elsewhere.

Pete