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I'm a student pilot || <-- that close to my checkride.

A couple weeks ago I was doing one of my solo cross-countries to a towered airport. The tower told me to report when I was on base. When I was on base, the tower was talking to three other aircraft, one who was taking off and two who were approaching to land. The tower frequency was jammed up with the tower and the three aircraft all talking. I waited for the slightest break to tell the tower I was base, but it didn't happen until I had flown slightly past the runway, and when the tower cleared me to land I had to fly a slight s-turn to get on final.

Coincidentally, a pilot in my flying club just posted a story from when he was doing his solo cross-countries and had the exact same thing happen (actually at the same airport). His question is, what's the right thing to do when you just can't get a word in to tell the tower you're on base. Do you turn final when it's time even if you're not cleared to land? Do you continue the base leg past the runway? But what if the tower has aircraft flying both right and left patterns?

It seems to me after really thinking about it that I did the wrong thing, and that the right thing to do is turn final, mostly because of the thought of going head to head with another aircraft on base.

Thoughts?

Greg, this is a tough one because I'm wondering if there were other things the tower told you that you left out of the story. I learned at a towered field with two main parallel runways, so I certainly understand the dilemma you faced.

But in general, the tower should have told you well before you made it to your base leg what your status was and whether or not you were cleared to land, or "#2 behind the Cherokee" or some other such thing. If you really didn't get a clearance or an instruction, and were told simply to report when you were on base leg, then that *would* be confusing.

However, in this instance I would assume I was cleared to land, and I would keep a ready and watchful eye out for other traffic while I continued in the pattern and be ready to evade if possible. I would NOT extend my base (especially if there is a parallel runway). And I would do whatever is possible to butt into the radio traffic to confirm status. But if the tower basically clears you to base (which I am assuming they did if they said "report on base") then it seems like they were clearing you to complete your pattern.

All this assumes, of course, that you're flying a nice tight pattern near the field and not coming in on a super-long approach. Depending on where you're coming in from, sometimes a tower will instruct you just to join the pattern right on base for a turn to final, without going through the downwind leg.

Hope this helps...and I'm a newbie PPL myself so I look forward to the responses from the more experienced among us. Good luck with your check ride!

Jeff

Thanks, Jeff. To clarify, there were not parallel runways. It was runway 26, and I was approaching from the south, so I pretty much flew straight into the base leg. There were no prior instructions -- when I was 10 miles out, I was told to report on left base for 26. I had heard the tower instruct planes to fly both right and left-hand patterns for the runway.

When I was ready to report, there were three planes actively talking to the tower. One was departing 26. One was close in, and I actually heard the tower tell that plane that they were number two behind a Cessna on base, which I was pretty sure had to be me (if it wasn't then I was in unintentional formation). The third was approaching, but was further out.

You confirmed my second guess -- I probably should have turned final, especially since I could tell from what the tower told the other plane that he had me in mind for #1 to land. I just wonder if there is a general rule -- if you're cleared to base, can you turn final without permission from the tower? Further questions along the same lines that I didn't have to deal with: if a tower tells you to approach straight in, but doesn't expressly clear you to land, can you land? If I had turned final, but hadn't been cleared to land, what would the right have been to do?

Greg, based on the info you added I would say you were definitely cleared on final and were expected to be the #1 to land. Again, when in doubt always try to butt in on traffic if you feel something isn't right. Also, you can throw in the words "student pilot" in your radio comms and that will usually get you a bit more help from the tower. (I know pilots with 1000s of hours who deploy that little trick when they aren't sure about the instructions.)

You don't specifically need tower instructions for every turn of the pattern. Once they've cleared you to land, even if you're still on downwind, they expect you to do so unless something else comes up and you need to get their attention (e.g. go around).

But as my primary instructor always says: "When in doubt, don't!" Never be afraid to get clarification from the tower. If you start to do something wrong, rest assured they'll get YOUR attention pretty quickly.

J

As a CFI, I just want to add another perspective here. I agree that when one was requested to report on base, you would expect that when you got to report, you would get clearance instructions. In leiu of being able to talk to the tower due to frequency congestion, treat it as a no-radio approach. Continue on the pattern legs just like normal. However, be prepared to both evade other aircraft and/or to just go-around. A go-around is always an option when something just doesnt feel right. But fly as close to a normal pattern as you can.

Tower controllers are like pilots and they make mistakes. I have seen a busy 1-runway operation go from orderly to disorderly and the tower controller litterally lose the pattern all together. Usually this happens when someone does something unexpected and it messes up the spacing for everyone else.

As for flying through the final approach course, as a principle you dont want to add that to your set of procedures if you can allow it. Its not safe at a parallel runway environment, nor does it add to a stabilized approach because now you are swinging wide to restablish on the extended centerline. This is one situation that can lead to, if the pilot is nervous or disoriented, a skidded turn back to final which may result in a stall/spin accident.

Thanks for posting about this. You did yourself and the rest of the piloting community a great service in bringing up one of the "grey" areas. There is no hard and fast rule.

Hope that helps,
Torea
CFI, CFII, MEI