On Mar 15, 8:11*am, Ricky wrote:

I would go to great efforts in pre-flight and in flight with an
airport map, making sure I knew where all the runways were before I
even contacted approach. I listened intently to the active in use on
ATIS before talking to tower or approach. Once or twice, though, I had
to ask for help nevertheless.

I think your last sentence says it all. The key to our success of not
becoming an incident is to fess up.

As you can see in my own video, I do exactly like you described above,
look at the airport diagram, try to get positionally aware well before
getting to the airport. I even go as far during quiet periods of
cruise to anticipate my taxi route. I knew based on position that it
should have been exactly what I was instructed, report 2 mile final,
meaning straight in approach. I just didn't see piano keys, numbers,
white stripes from my position to identify what I was looking at was
indeed the runway. Unfortunately, what we see crystal clear on paper
sure becomes muddied from the airplane!

Lots of lessons can really be learned that I learned myself.

1. Don't talk your way into a "runway" It was almost too easy to say,
runway in sight, I think it's the runway, lets line up for it and
initiate my final approach. Be sure it's a runway, not a taxiway,
fishpond or parallel road.

2. This happens to seasoned pilots, not only students or lesser
experienced pilots. I will be hitting my 1000 hours next month and
pride means nothing when it comes to a safety issue.

3. As you pointed out, ask for ATC when in doubt. As demonstrated in
the video, ATC is there to help us, not the other way around.

Fortunately there wasn't any other traffic for me to conflict with,
but I didn't let it linger when I was confused since I felt I was
becoming a safety factor.

This only continues to prove that I am still learning from the moment
I step on the ramp til I put the plane to bed