clarify this for me. for avid far readers

[climbhappy]

the other day i was cleared for a visual. was asked by ATC to maintain 1600 til final. also, be looking for two helos across the downwind path at 500 AGL. as I entering the downwind saw the traffic , maintained separation, then turning base I wanted to join the glide slope and make this a stabilized approach. since I was inside the OM. I landed without incident, the tower made no comment, but my captain said , I should have maintained the 1600.

question: avoid traffic, fly a stablized approach. was I was released from the 1600 til final caveat?

 

[CA1900]

No, you weren't. Might have been for noise-abatement purposes; that I don't know. But unless they said "cancel altitude restriction," you were still bound by it.

 

[Flechas]

I think you just had to maintain 1600 untill you had to descend, I'm sure they were not expecting you to make a steep approach. I'd gess the controller didn't want you to go down to say 1000 and intercept the glideslope from ther.
JMHO, I guess you had to be there to know all the facts.

 

[IP076]

I would think that there's not a whole lot of grey area in "Maintain 1600 till Final". Id say you were supposed to do just that. Now, by no means, should you fly an unstable approach, so plan appropriately to roll out on final an appropriate distance from the runway....if this airport is at sea level, I guess you should turn a 5 mile final....if its at 1000', then a 2 mile final would do.

I'm pretty sure "1600 till final" means maintain 1600 until your on Final.

 

[Ralgha]

I agree, no ambiguity in "1600 till final". Shoulda stayed there until you were on final. If that means extending downwind, so be it.

 

[FracCapt]

the other day i was cleared for a visual. was asked by ATC to maintain 1600 til final.............but my captain said , I should have maintained the 1600.

The Captain was right. You were instructed to maintain 1600 until on final. You didn't. The altitude restriction could have been for any number of reasons, but you were not released from that responsibility, so you were expected to comply with it. You should have extended downwind to join the GS at 1600.

Telling us which airport it was at may get you a better explanation. It may have been for noise abatement, it may have been for traffic, or it may have been for airspace issues.

 

[midlifeflyer]

Time for a NASA report?

 

[nosehair]

be looking for two helos across the downwind path at 500 AGL.

I'm guessing ATC gave you the altitude restriction to clear the helos. I'm also guessing you didn't turn an extremely short base, you intercepted the glideslope; I would call that close enough to call it "final". I think the controller didn't want to say "Maintain 1600 until clear of the helos". I think everyone else is being too literal. But that's only what I think. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, including your Captain,and that is all you are gonna get. There is no definitive "clarification" on this. The ONLY one who can clarify is the controller who issued the instruction.

 

[aeronautic1]

Faf

1600 until final (approach fix)

 

[Flechas]

1600 until final (approach fix)

Doesn't have to be that way, what if the FAF is at 1000? Go for a slam dunk in final?