ATC clearance to land followed by request to extend downwind
 

Hi there,

I'm working toward my PPL and today just prior to entering the pattern, I received clearance to land at KPAO. Then, abeam the numbers I was asked to extend my downwind to accommodate other traffic and told that ATC would call my base. On final I made two requests for verification of clearance before deciding to go around although the active was clear. If there's a doubt, there's no doubt, right?!

My question is, was my clearance to land always valid or was in fact invalidated by the revised sequence?

Follow the instructions!
 

If you got a landing clearance and then he told you to extend downwind, his last instruction was to extend downwind so that's what you should do.

The go around works, but it makes everyone's hair stand up when they're not expecting that, especially when the controller told you to do something and any other pilot on freq would have heard the same thing.

So anyone on frequency in the immediate vicinity is expecting to see an aircraft extending downwind.

For clarification on his part, he could have given a traffic call or a brief explanation. That would be considered additional service, but it gives everyone the warm and fuzzy to know why they're are being told something different.

Hope this helps! You'll get it, and remember it's the controllers job to keep you safe!

If your landing clearance had been canceled, the controller should have stated "Cancel landing clearance, extend downwind". However, I don't blame you for being confused. I heard a trainee controller tell a pilot once,

"Extend downwind, make short approach!"


If in doubt, ask "Verify cleared to land?" or do as you did.

I would revised the clearance and give you a new sequence after the "extend DW" instruction, because probably you were number 1 and became number 2 or either still number 1 but with one departure in front, so I would suggest you to ask and not continue and maybe you are in front as somebody else :eek: