You should be sufficiently aware of the position of other aircraft in the circuit to avoid the need to do 'S turns on final'. Extend downwind, orbit downwind or widen base are all options.

As an aside, I have never really been phased by flying over water in a single as I spent many a time orbiting over the drink during my ppl training :)

If the OP would like to state what service he was receiving, we might be able to comment usefully instead of writing some of the claptrap that has appeared so far. Mind you, a bit worrying that apparently he does not know the procedures applicable to whatever service it was!


2 s

As the OP mentions he was solo, I take it he is a student, and may have only flown at this one airfield. Different services and procedures will be learned later in his course.

Ormand Beach Fl.

'601D cleared to land number 4'
'Cleared to land 601D'

Just did the one s-turn on final for spacing.

That should have no reflection whatsoever on the correctness RT procedures current at his home field. Quite the opposite in fact. Any field involved in training has a special responsibility to make sure they get their RT absolutely PERFECT. Nothing less is acceptable.

Perfect radio procedure is easily misunderstood by a low hour student on circuits, on final, with a large percentage of his brain involved in trying to land with the aircraft re-useable.

At Oshkosh next week, there may be 3 or 4 arrivals on the same runway at a time. Fun stuff. :E



http://www.boldmethod.com/images/blo...he-world/8.jpg

I'll let you know how much fun. Arriving there on Monday.
I've just read the 26 page Notam!

Very interesting arrival videos here: Visual Flight Rules Video Examples | EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

I've been offline for a while, thank you for all the responses. It's a small airfield with the radio operator sat in the clubhouse area. They have a view of the runway and the approach. When I called final, I could clearly see the aircraft in front, who had just touched down, and I was given the runway information, surface wind etc etc. I'd imagine, however, that in the event of the 'controller' not deeming it safe for me to land, he would've told me to go around? I wasn't told to 'land after' or anything like that, and as I said, I wouldn't have let the wheels touch the ground had the aircraft not called vacated by the time I was coming over the threshold. @Maoraigh1 . it is indeed this one airfield I've been learning at. Moving on to cross country and navigation for my next lesson.

It would seem that this "controller" is an "air / ground" radio station.
If so he has no authority to give permissions, clearances, instructions to go around, etc.
It is an advisory service only. All decisions in the circuit are yours, the pilot.
If you land too close to the aircraft in front, you may however incur the wrath of the airfield operator with whatever consequences. The A/G operator may report what he considers dangerous practices, but he is not responsible for you.
Problem is when in these situations of A/G ops giving what appears to be an instruction and it goes wrong, who takes responsibility?

Tobster,

In your opening message you state that you were given permission to land. Your message above states the A/G operator gave you runway and wind info only. The latter is correct for such an operation and the decision making following that info being received lies with you.

As an aside, keep hearing en-route people calling A/G operators for a basic service.

I don't do that, but neither do I know the official wording for "thought you might like to know for SA that I'm passing over the top of your ATZ at 2,001', and I'd like to listen to your traffic whilst I'm passing, again for SA, no service required".

Isn't it rather a worry that studes are being taught to fly by a "school" that neither teaches them correct RT procedure, nor the differences between different airfield radio services?

tobster,

Having read your original post, it appears that the person you earlier assumed to be a "controller" is almost certainly not. I suggest you ask your instructor asap to clarify what service you are operating under at your home airfield and to point you in the correct direction of the rules and regulations in this respect. ;)

Wageslave, it might not be that the school is failing to teach those things. The problem could be with 'receive' rather than 'transmit'. ;)

Tobster.
Having read this a bit closer it seems you have assumed this to be a controller.
I'm sorry but "I'd imagine>>>he would have told me to go around" does not apply.
You are in a situation of false security, for want of a better description.
You really must talk to your instructor about what the "controller" is authorised to do.
Basically he can TELL you nothing, he can advise the runway in use, advise the wind, advise other known traffic etc. He cannot give you permission, clearance, land after, go around etc.

Yeahbut that should be spotted as part of the "am I going to send this guy solo" decision making, surely? Either way it sounds (so far, having heard only one side of the story, usual caveats) that an explanation from the school would be interesting.

Perhaps the AG operator should have said 'Wind blah blah, one ahead on short final' or similar. But he wasn't obliged to and you shouldn't expect him to.

That's all I needed thanks. I just wasn't sure what the correct procedure was in this instance. As I said earlier on, I'm working on RT, and as I venture to further aerodromes, I'm sure that the correct RT procedures will be explained etc. My asking if I should have been given permission/clearance was my own phraseology, not something that I was expecting from the A/G Service. It was more 'Should he have advised me there was one in front?' I know that the decision making process is down to the PIC and not the service.
Thanks

Crash One is right with this.

The decision ultimately lies with the pilot in command.

If it feels dodgy, don't wait to be told. You're the one whose life may be on the line, and the 'controller' doesn't have a giant fishing rod waiting to pluck you out of the sky if it all goes tits up.

Also, regarding learning RT - it's worth getting classroom based training on procedures and calls using real world examples. Learn the WHY as well as the HOW & the pieces will fall into place.