"Matt" wrote in message
. net...
Hello everyone.

Two months ago I flew VFR into Memphis. This was my first time landing at
the primary airport of a Class B. From about 30 miles out, the approach
controller was providing vectors and altitudes to maintain. I was told to
expect runway 27. About seven miles southeast of the airport I was told
to "descend at my discretion." I was not lined up with the runway at this
point, and was not sure if he meant I was just limited to descending or
should intercept the extended centerline. I asked him if I was "cleared
for the visual" and he replied that "cleared for the visual" was an IFR
clearance and I was not IFR. He repeated that I was cleared to "descend
at my discretion." I figured this meant line up and land on 27. I did
that and was handed off to the tower.

At most other towered airports I have been to, the controller always says
something like "enter a 3 mile base for 27" or "report a 3 mile final for
27" or something to that effect. I was expecting the same at Memphis. My
question is: Was the controller correct in this situation to use the
phrase "descend at your discretion."

Thanks for your thoughts.

Matt

You said your were southeast. Lining up 7 miles out sounds like several
miles of going out of your way. No sense doing a 3 mile base to a 7 mile
final. In my plane, 7 miles would give other people time to get in before I
got there. Without a specific instruction to line up, I would have continued
on a direct line for the airport until I could do a base for short final.
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Travis
Lake N3094P
PWK