I believe it depends on the rest of your message. If you had said "...
through 5300 for landing" and gotten the "continue" with no other
limitations then you were cleared to enter the pattern and make a landing
(but I would expect a "cleared to land" somewhere in the pattern). If on the
other hand you had said "...through 5300 for 4500" then the "continue" would
not have cleared you to decend below that point or to enter the pattern.

Other limitations could be similar to any "expect further clearance" phrase
you might hear when on IFR.

--
Jim Carter
"Mike Noel" wrote in message
...
I was returning to my home base this morning and was cleared down to 4500'
from 5500' by Tucson approach (pattern altitude is 3400'). On the handoff
to the tower I called in and said I was 'through 5300'. The only words
back
from the Tower were 'Cherokee 54405, continue'. This was the first time I
had received this instruction and assumed (yes, bad idea) that I was being
told to continue inbound to the pattern. I leveled at 4500' and continued
inbound. As I got closer to the pattern I asked the tower controller if I
could descend to pattern altitude. He replied that he had given me
permission on first contact. I continued on down and landed.

Is this a commonly used phraseology from ATC? I would have thought just
using the word 'continue' would be too ambiguous for the likes of the FAA.

--
Regards,
Mike

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