Marc Adler wrote:
Listening to http://audio.liveatc.net:8012/kjfk_app_final , I hear a
lot of instructions from the tower to follow other traffic, but the
pilots don't always know what aircraft they're following. It sounds
like the tower expects them to be able to recognize an airplane (type,
airline, etc.) from two miles away. Is that possible?

When it gets busy, anything can happen. Once, years ago I called the
tower returning to my home airport - and was told I was number 5 to
land. I looked and looked, but could
only see two planes - one on final and one presumably ahead of me on
downwind - about a mile out. So I followed him, and he just kept going
and going. Finally I decided
that he was leaving the area, and turned base (about a mile past the
end of the runway). Then I looked to the right, and guess what? This
guy had also turned base - probably two miles out. Then I saw another
plane also on base - coming from the opposite direction! All this and
nothing that would have alerted me to the fact that the controller was
running simultaneous left and right traffic on the same runway.
The opposing traffic was a bit further out than me, so I cut the corner
to final and
landed without incident - other than that the controller was surprised
to see me in that sequence.

Another time I joined the pattern at a busy airport and was told to
follow the plane ahead.
This I did until on final, without another word from the tower. Finally
I asked if I was cleared to land - and was told to switch to the other
(parallel) runway at the last
possible moment. The controller had completely forgotten about me.

Just last weekend I joined the pattern at a busy uncontrolled field.
Everything would have been fine, except that a string of ultralights
came in from the side at about half
pattern altitude and cut into traffic to land - almost in formation.
They did have radios,
and announced themselves. However it was still quite a surprise. The
last in the string went right under me. I extended my pattern to avoid
conflict (announcing that I was doing so). My reward was to have the
guy behind me in the pattern cut in and appear ahead of me on final. I
of course went around.

Fun and games. Sometimes it gets pretty crazy out there.

David Johnson