I have been on a vector on downwind in IMC and ATC said "cleared the approach". I am not on any portion of the published approach. Sure, I have a nice EFIS MAP display in front of me and it has fancy EGPWS with GPS terrain display. Can I do this? yes. Should I do this? well now that is an important question.
This is how the Chinese are doing it. Never been cleared for this in the U.S. Maybe I have asked for a "short approach" in the past but never just fly my own IMC pattern to an ILS. This is how CFIT happens, maybe not everyday but certainly increases the chances. What is so advantages to this?
ATCOJ30, vector me.......................... I won't complain.