Nice reply, Hotel Tango, thank you.
Whilst accepting that visual approaches happen every now and again, I guess my interest is why on this particular occasion there was a visual approach.
Was it just an ad-hoc "hell, let's ask this time" from pilot and an ad-hoc "ah, sure, we'll allow it this time" response from tower?
OR, was there a specific reason why on this occasion it was allowed?
[Random (and admittedly extreme) things come to mind such as: woman-giving-birth, running-low-on-fuel, difficult-passenger-on-board, first-officer-wants-to-see-end-of-football-game, US-president-on-board-who-wants-to-see-city.]
It seems more unlikely to allow a visual approach at 00.36hrs (when people are asleep (acknowledging there is less traffic)) than during the day when a little extra noise wouldn't be so noticeable.
[Yeah, sure, it woke me up, but I'm not bothered as I like watching a beauty pass overhead.]
Likely, it won't do the same on tonight's scheduled flight (nor next week's scheduled flight), because it didn't two nights ago nor last week, so why last night's flight?.