I have seen this many times on approaches where ATC is sequencing people or
just for ease of navigation and you intercept the localizer a long way out
(greater than 10 NM). Works great. As other posters noted, clearance to
intercept the localizer is not clearance for the approach, and certainly not
clearance to fly the glideslope.

Paul

"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...
Nathan Young wrote:
On 2 Oct 2005 17:17:13 -0700, "
wrote:


I want out to play last week. I requested clearance from EMT to RAL
for ILS to rwy 9. Shortly after I was level at 4000, I was cleared to
intercept localizer. As I tracked localizer, the glideslope started
down and I started down with it. At 3,700, ATC called to ask me to
remain 4000. I climbed back to 4000 and about 30 seconds later, was
cleared to decent.

I did not think about it at the time, but does clear to intercept
localizer mean I cannot decent until I am clear to decent? BTW, the
glideslope was functioning.


Once you have an approach clearance, you can descend to the altitudes
shown on the chart.

However...

It is very common for the controller to give you a vector to the
localizer and an altitude restriction until you are established on the
localizer. Typically, this would be something like: "N123, fly 130
to intercept localizer, maintain 4000 until established, cleared ILS 9
@ RAL."

Perhaps that happened, and you just missed the altitude restriction?

This seems less likely, but maybe the clearance was only to intercept the
localizer and no approach clearance was given. I can't imagine why a
controller would do this, but stranger things have happened.


Matt