"Yossarian" wrote in message
. 97.142...

Saturday was my first night IFR cross country. I was flying right seat in
a 172SP with an instructor on the left. The flight was from KHHR
Hawthorne
CA to Bermuda Dunes. All was well and as expected until Palm Springs
approach. They vectored us to a point south of the VOR-C approach approx
4
miles from the VOR at 4000. We were not established on the final approach
course. Then I got "cleared for the visual".


Had you reported the field in sight?



Airport elevation is 73', meaning that a ridiculous descent of 1150 ft/min
at 90 kts would have been required to get to the MDA of 920 at the MAP if
we had been flying the VOR-C.


But you weren't flying the VOR-C, you were flying a visual. Right? The VOR
is the FAF and the VOR is 8.9 miles from the runway threshold. If you were
still four miles outside the VOR you were 12.9 miles from the runway 28
threshold. At 90 knots GS that's a descent rate of just 460 fpm all the
way to touchdown.



What was I expected to do here? I have an instrument rating but only 150
hours so I don't have much experience. I expect an instrument approach,
even a visual, to allow me to make a landing using a normal descent rate
and not have to make laps in the pattern to descend.


It looks like a normal descent rate to me, based on your description. In
fact, it's a rather shallow descent.



What happens if you refuse a visual approach?


You usually get an SIAP.