SRA approach landing clarification
 

Hello.

When going through the aircraft/ATC terminology section of CAP413 in relation to an SRA app., it states;

That after the controller tells you not to respond to further instructions he/she then gives you landing clearance. CAP413 has no readback to that and the pilot remains silent. In essence just following the hdg/alt instructions. I thought you would read back the landing clearance but it seems to differ on this approach.

Is this true or just a mis-print.

Thanks

From my distant memory of doing SRAs "terminating less than 2 miles from touchdown", I seem to recall saying "clear to land - acknowledge" which invited a readback for just that one occasion in what was otherwise a one-way communication link.

Don't know that it was official/recommended/approved/etc., just something we did! Vintage ATCO might remember :ok:

Nowadays, I'm only doing 2-milers which of course aren't continuous Tx

Tori
always under pressure

Many years also since I have done SRA's but I do recall for those and the PRA's we got a pilot acknowledgment of the landing clearance this was however military and because we had to also hear the gear tone confirming the gear was down and locked. ;)

Thanks
 

Thanks for that.

CAP413 is correct....there's no need to acknowledge a landing clearance on an SRA terminating at less than 2 miles from touchdown. In fact, ATC shouldn't break the transmission for more than 5 seconds inside the last 4 miles of the approach. I've always spelt it out from the descent point syaing "Do not reply to further instructions, unless requested"...I have a vague recollection of that phrase being official.

Only a handful of places left doing half-milers these days...

Don't know whether it's a misprint or not. But stop for a moment and think about why we do readbacks - to see that the instruction has been received and correctly so.

When doing a 1/2 mile SRA it's probably fair to conclude that the pilot is receiving the transmissions if the aircraft responds to instructions. In the landing situation there is normally a need to ensure that the correct aircraft has received the landing clearance - in a 1/2 mile SRA there will be no other aircraft on frequency (at least, none in a position to cause problems by hearing the words "cleared to land"), the risks associated with incorrect readback are minimal because the aircraft will be number 1 and the runway will be 'his'. Lots of the safeguards applied normally are simply not required in this particular operation.

Finally, I suspect issues like the above or, say, any claims that a permanent tx by the controller stops the pilot declaring an emergency or somesuch will be addressed by considering the exposure to the hazard in question.

thanks
 

I do 1/2 mile SRA's regularly so the advice is appreciated.

Spitoon, some good points. Especially as we had multiple GCA frequencies running at once and in the training environment there was a very short break from the handoff to the tower to the next aircraft checking on frequency so it was important we had the correct aircraft acknowledgment.