Am I correct in saying that in the UK you will only receive the "clear to land" instruction if you are number 1. Whereas in the U.S. I believe you could receive something along the lines of " clear to Land number 2 behind the piper"
Yes. You are correct. The only exception, in the UK, is when you are cleared to 'land after', in which case, the landing is at your discretion. You must have the No.1 in sight at all times, and at the time of landing, you must be confident that there is sufficient runway already behind the preceding aircraft to land, and stop safely. You are not allowed to do this at an uncontrolled airfield.
When I was cleared to land with 3 ahead on my first visit to the USA, I asked, 'What about the 3 ahead?' and He said 'They're cleared to land as well!
MJ
