Visual Appr.

The situation....

Your on an IFR plan, in VMC. You see the airport and make your call: N123
has the field.

ATC : N123 cleard for the visual approach to rwy 9, contact tower 123.4

You : cleared for the vis to 9, over tower...thanks.

You : acb tower N123 with you on the visual to 9.

Tower : N123 roger, enter a left downwind for 9.


Does this mean you stay on downwind, or are you just enetering the pattern
and can make base/final anytime.

Clearance to land has not yet been given.


SK

"Stuart King" wrote in message
om...

The situation....

Your on an IFR plan, in VMC. You see the airport and make your call:
N123
has the field.

ATC : N123 cleard for the visual approach to rwy 9, contact tower 123.4

You : cleared for the vis to 9, over tower...thanks.

You : acb tower N123 with you on the visual to 9.

Tower : N123 roger, enter a left downwind for 9.


Does this mean you stay on downwind, or are you just enetering the pattern
and can make base/final anytime.

Clearance to land has not yet been given.


It just means that you enter the pattern on a left downwind.

Cleared the visual means you've been cleared for the full visual approach, so
you are basically the same as VFR traffic as far as clearance. At a towered
field, you have to follow any instructions given by the tower. In this case,
you are cleared for descent to TPA, fly the pattern and tower told you to enter
the left downwind for 9.

Stuart King wrote:

The situation....

Your on an IFR plan, in VMC. You see the airport and make your call: N123
has the field.

ATC : N123 cleard for the visual approach to rwy 9, contact tower 123.4

You : cleared for the vis to 9, over tower...thanks.

You : acb tower N123 with you on the visual to 9.

Tower : N123 roger, enter a left downwind for 9.

Does this mean you stay on downwind, or are you just enetering the pattern
and can make base/final anytime.

Clearance to land has not yet been given.

SK

--
--Ray Andraka, P.E.
President, the Andraka Consulting Group, Inc.
401/884-7930 Fax 401/884-7950
email
http://www.andraka.com

"They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little
temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-Benjamin Franklin, 1759

"Ray Andraka" wrote in message
...

Cleared the visual means you've been cleared for the full visual approach,


Hmmmm,,,,,,,, is there a partial visual approach?

On 9/6/2003 5:17 AM after considerable forethought, Stuart King wrote:
The situation....

Your on an IFR plan, in VMC. You see the airport and make your call: N123
has the field.

ATC : N123 cleard for the visual approach to rwy 9, contact tower 123.4

You : cleared for the vis to 9, over tower...thanks.

You : acb tower N123 with you on the visual to 9.

Tower : N123 roger, enter a left downwind for 9.


Does this mean you stay on downwind, or are you just enetering the pattern
and can make base/final anytime.

Clearance to land has not yet been given.


SK



If I'm told to enter the downwind or any part of the pattern and have
NOT been cleared to land, I report once that's been completed. I find
it common to be told to enter left downwind, and I end up reporting,
"N123 abeam the tower left downwind" A few airports around here use
both right and left traffic simultaneously so it's important to let the
tower know when you need to be a part of the consideration for landing.
If I hear there are several planes in the pattern, I'll try to report
when entering and add "wing up" so they can pick me out more easily.

Steve P

The best way to think about it is that "cleared for the visual"
releases you from any altitude or heading/course restrictions that
were part of your previous clearance and allows you to visually enter
the pattern (in this case on a left downwind). Before the visual
clearance you were stuck at an altitude and course because of your
clearance. Remeber though that you are still IFR, a visual approach
cannot be given to a VFR aircraft. Don't forget to cancel your IFR at
some point if its not a towered field.

-Robert



"Stuart King" wrote in message . com...
The situation....

Your on an IFR plan, in VMC. You see the airport and make your call: N123
has the field.

ATC : N123 cleard for the visual approach to rwy 9, contact tower 123.4

You : cleared for the vis to 9, over tower...thanks.

You : acb tower N123 with you on the visual to 9.

Tower : N123 roger, enter a left downwind for 9.


Does this mean you stay on downwind, or are you just enetering the pattern
and can make base/final anytime.

Clearance to land has not yet been given.


SK