Originally Posted by
cjboy
I understand the clearance Chilli talks about, and he has probably given me that clearance himself on several occasions. In the circumstances he describes it makes perfect sense.
I cannot help feeling vulnerable, however, when sitting on an empty runway just waiting for a takeoff clearance. At one foreign airport I sat for aound 10 minutes waiting for a takeoff clearance (I believe the controller had to get on the landline to the big airport down the road).
I was getting twitchy I can tell you, as apart from having no reverse gear this aircraft had no wing mirrors either, so I didn't know what might be coming down the approach.
I would DEFINITELY question the clearance in that case. There have been instances where through communications screw up aircraft have been left lined up with someone else cleared to land on top of them (and I believe an actual collision at a US West Coast airport). IIRC, there was even an FAA communication that anyone lined up on a runway for more than a brief period of time should query this with the controller.