What Would You Have Done?

[Glory Aulik]

More to come soon from Radek!

[Radek.cfi]

Just in case you have arrived here via direct access to EAA Forums, this thread was established to comment on the most recent article in IMC Advisor by Peter Conant. (http://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/eaa-news-and-aviation-news/imc_advisor_newsletter/2017-02-20-what-would-you-have-done?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiT1dNek1ETmtaall6TmpFeiIsInQiO iJucDl3RVdZQ3p0Z3VtenpjVzVsSnhDM3VxTkdrWVdNTzU5Ylg yZHcxTDJ1MnMzSGo5ZVg4Y2V4SVdpMGl5WHM5YXZHbjlRbXZxU VZBTW1XOUVUVUpTak15UFBZZkQ1NVA0UFJSb215aTlzYVZqYzF 4ZWVGUlV0UmxBZjAwNkhnNyJ9) Read it please and let us know what do you think ;-). Would you question your ATC controller and when? How long would you wait if you think you should be receiving another instruction or the one you have received seems to be incomplete?

[martymayes]

The first was a relatively straightforward clearance to fly the ILS Runway 24 approach at Nantucket. The weather was clear, but it was after dark, so I had requested the ILS procedure. Cape Approach had assigned me a heading (I think it was 210) and as I watched, the localizer needle came in from the left, crossed the center, and began drifting off to the right. I didn’t say anything, having never heard “join the localizer” or “cleared for the approach.” Cape came back a few seconds later, and I was given “turn right to 270, join the localizer, contact Nantucket tower.”
Should I have said something? It was not a busy night and as far as I knew, the controller at Cape Approach might have just forgotten about me. Should I have joined the localizer anyway with the weather being VFR, telling Cape what I was doing? What would you have done? I never did hear “cleared for the approach.”

Yes.

AIM, para 5-4-3:

(b) After release to approach control, aircraft are vectored to the final approach course (ILS, MLS, VOR, ADF, etc.). Radar vectors and altitude or flight levels will be issued as required for spacing and separating aircraft. Therefore, pilots must not deviate from the headings issued by approach control. Aircraft will normally be informed when it is necessary to vector across the final approach course for spacing or other reasons. If approach course crossing is imminent and the pilot has not been informed that the aircraft will be vectored across the final approach course, the pilot should query the controller.