formationflyer,
OK, I think the "correct" answer, as you say, should be: turn final, if not cleared to land, initiate a go-around from a safe height. Yes, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, and if I was an instructor that's what I'd teach my students too.
But this thread is called "What would/should you do?" And perhaps we've been mixing up what you "should" do, from what you "would" do, in a real life situation.
In my situation, I could have initiated a go-around at any point whatsoever, even from low level at low speed;
this is a helicopter we've talking about . And yes, I do have the experience to know I can do that safely. Though I'm not actually sure what the rules would be for that, on a low level approach to the south side grass - helos at WBA don't use the circuit; they come in below everyone else and land on the grass. But of course, in practice, I'd climb to a safe height and make a radio call. BUT I had been on frequency for a while, had excellent vis, knew there was no other traffic around, and certainly no other helicopters. A go-around in such a situation might be "right". But it would have been damn stupid.
I think the initiator of this thread (sorry, forgotten who you are by now!) was partly asking a similar question, ie are "should" and "would" necessarily the same, and is "would" necessarily wrong. I believe Genghis, as an experienced aviator, was making the same kind of point. After all, we're all human beings - even confused ATCOs at Wolverhampton Intergalactic (nice place to fly out of, for the record).
But yes, if we're going by the book, you're absolutely correct. Er...I think. (Have to put that, don't want to risk a good thread ending
)