What to say when inbound for landing

ATC
#1

Hey all!
Lately, I’ve been noticing some confusion by pilots calling in for landing. In this thread, I’ll go over the commands and when to say them:

Inbound for Landing:
Use this command when you’re inbound on your own navigation (without approach frequency), and do not have a preference as to what runway you will be landing on. You must follow any instruction ATC gives you. Example:

Fort Lauderdale Tower, Southwest 1523 is 20 Nautical Miles to the Northeast at 7,000 feet, inbound for landing

Southwest 1523, enter left downwind runway 10L

Inbound for Landing with a specific runway request:
Use this command when you’re inbound on your own navigation (without approach frequency), and you want a specific runway for landing. However, you must follow any runway change ATC gives you. Example:

Fort Lauderdale Tower, Southwest 1523 is 20 Nautical Miles to the Northeast at 7,000 feet, inbound for landing, requesting runway 10L

Southwest 1523, enter left downwind runway 10R

Inbound on the ILS:
Use this command when approach clears you for the approach for a specific runway. Example:

Southwest 1523, descend and maintain 3000, maintain 3000 until established on the localizer, cleared ILS runway 10L approach

(after you acknowledge and approach sends you to tower frequency: )

Fort Lauderdale Tower, Southwest 1523, inbound on the ILS, runway 10L

Southwest 1523, number 1, runway 10L, cleared to land

Lastly, if approach clears you for the approach to a runway, please do NOT use “inbound for landing”, use “inbound on the ILS” as it makes it much easier for us IFATC!

We hope that you now have a better understanding of what commands to use and when to use them. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. We don’t bite!

Remember that not following ATC instructions on the Expert Server is subject to ghosting!

29 Likes
#2

Cool topic! Thanks for the tips.

1 Like
#3

Just something to add: most of the time when people request a specific runway, their request gets granted. We would assign a different runway when either the runway they want is not in use, or it’s being used for takeoffs, or there are already a bunch of other inbounds to that runway.

1 Like
#4

We should work together to create a super in-depth forum tutorial on the proper use of ATC Communications (and UNICOM) throughout every stage of flight…

Topics like this are incredibly helpful to those who don’t quite understand how to communicate with each other or ATC!

4 Likes
#5

What I say, “I’m coming in hot! Get off that concrete!”

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#6

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For clarification… Downwind and/or 40 NM away is not when to use “Inbound on the ILS”.

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#7

Sometimes the approach gives me the finals instructions for a runway, like the example before:

Southwest 1523, descend and maintain 3000, maintain 3000 until established on the localizer, cleared ILS runway 10L approach

Soon after he ask me to contact the tower even if I have not yet catch the ILS, for example I’m 3-4 nauticals miles from the red cone with an angle of 30 degrees from the glideslope. What should I do?
Until now I send:

Fort Lauderdale Tower, Southwest 1523, inbound on the ILS, runway 10L

Is that correct, or should I switch to the tower, waiting until I’m fully established on the ILS and then sending the communication?

2 Likes
#8

They are usually busy and send it when they see you will make the turn. Stay with approach until you know you are going to make it or not. I would just tell tower “Inbound on the ILS”.

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#9

When to announce inbound on unicom?

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#10

Very handy and clear, thanks.

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#11

25NM out would be your best bet.

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#12

Just putting this back up there, as I’ve seen another increase in people using the wrong commands.

This is another big one^^^^

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#13

Oh sorry, just realized I said the wrong command to you when landing at SBGL today. Thanks for controlling for 5 hours straight by the way!

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#14

No worries, thanks for stopping by. We all make mistakes and it’s good to understand and make changes!! :)

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#15

If Approach controller clears me for a “GPS Approach”, should i still call “Inbound on the ILS”?

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#16

I believe you still should. Thanks for asking

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#17

I wouldn’t think so, as GPS approaches are available when ILS is not. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will come to corroborate this

#18

I would. Even though there is no ILS option, you are letting ATC know you are on the slope and heading.

I would not say this IRL, just in IF.

2 Likes
#19

I usually don’t call “Inbound on the ILS” when cleared for GPS Approach :/
But i guess i will from now on as i seems make most sense to do so, i think?

#20

Call ILS. It’s not strictly correct but based on the requests at our disposal it works just fine.

Just don’t say “…is on final”

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