Why would you wait until you are approaching the threshold to initiate a go around?  You have now effectively increased your workload during a critical phase of flight at a critical altitude for no good reason.  If you're 2 miles (or even a mile) out, a quick "TWR, CoolKid1234 on short final to 25L...do we have landing clearance?"  Could save you a lot of stress.  It would effectively put you in the front of the controllers mind, and also give you the answer you're looking for!

Why would you wait until you are approaching the threshold to initiate a go around?  You have now effectively increased your workload during a critical phase of flight at a critical altitude for no good reason.  If you're 2 miles (or even a mile) out, a quick "TWR, CoolKid1234 on short final to 25L...do we have landing clearance?"  Could save you a lot of stress.  It would effectively put you in the front of the controllers mind, and also give you the answer you're looking for!

 

 

 

This would depend on the airport, Places like KSFO or KORD, have a lot of intersecting runways and taxiways. 

 

There could be other reasons not to land, Yes great it looks clear, assuming another plane isn't taking off from another runway. There are hidden dangers. Wake turbulence, from a plane departing on the next runway. The runways at KSFO for example are very close together. So wing tip, vortex, could create a problem.

 

Again depends on the realism. And how far you want to take the simulation.  If you are on Unicomm and there isn't a plane in sight, I think the landing is a must.  If it is really a busy time for the tower, with about 5 planes lined up ready to land, 3-5 mile separation. I wouldn't want to spoil the situation by just landing if the controller was there, and forgot to clear me.  I would go -around, then the tower would realize what has happened. Quite often with a go around, in the UK the tower or App, will ask reason for 'go around'.

 

Then again I understand that if you want to land, because you have to do something else, or you want to go to bed. The tower forgot about you, well it must be tempting, just to land.

 

 

 

There are a lot of things that can 'give way' in a simulation because nobody gets hurt. And it is just a simulation.

Why would you wait until you are approaching the threshold to initiate a go around?  You have now effectively increased your workload during a critical phase of flight at a critical altitude for no good reason.  If you're 2 miles (or even a mile) out, a quick "TWR, CoolKid1234 on short final to 25L...do we have landing clearance?"  Could save you a lot of stress.  It would effectively put you in the front of the controllers mind, and also give you the answer you're looking for!

 

You've incorrectly assumed that either the controller could have cleared you to land earlier and didn't, or that they actually had the option to give you a landing clearance in the first place. At places like Heathrow they land planes in such quick succession that they don't have the luxury of clearing you to land several miles out because the previous aircraft still hasn't vacated. Asking a busy controller if they forgot to clear you might be valid on VATSIM, but not in reality; doing so unecessarily congests the frequency.

 

The weather is either good enough that you can see whether you're likely to be able to land safely or not before being issued (or initiating) a go-around (therefore being prepared for it) or the weather is bad, in which case approaches are spaced out further and landing clearances will be issued earlier anyway.

As is often the case, it'll depend on the situation.

At LHR, asking for clearance when you're still miles out is just ridiculous.

At other airports, you'll practically receive your clearance the moment your wheels leave the ground at your airport of origin. ;-)

You've incorrectly assumed....

I haven't assumed anything.  In the real world, I have not been given landing clearance numerous times, and 99% of the time that I asked, I'm met with a "Oh, uh, xyz123, runway 12, cleared to land...sorry 'bout that."  Controllers are human too.  Sure they might be busy, but they also forget things sometimes as well.  At big airports in the U.S, it is not uncommon for an aircraft to receive landing clearance upon immediately switching to tower frequency when they are 10-12 miles out...even though there are 10 other aircraft ahead of them on final.

 

You'll also notice that I didn't say "miles out."  What I did say is that it is silly to initiate a go around at 50' because you didn't receive landing clearance.  Besides, what do you think would ###### a controller off more:  "Clogging up" the frequency for 5 seconds by asking him if your cleared or increasing his workload exponentially by executing a unexpected go around and now he has to issue you vectors and clear other aircraft out of your way since your in 'such busy airspace.'

 

It is very easy to tell who the real pilots are 'round here.

We will put this to bed, I'm not a RW pilot I'm new to VATSIM and was waiting clearance I was unsure as to what to do initially, next time I will ask ATC again. But I suppose the long and short I wasn't cleared to land and left it late so TOGA was initiated to which I told ATC straight away. I panicked a bit but did the go around got vectored to rwy34 and landed safely all good in the end thanks for all the input.

 

 

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I haven't assumed anything.  In the real world, I have not been given landing clearance numerous times, and 99% of the time that I asked, I'm met with a "Oh, uh, xyz123, runway 12, cleared to land...sorry 'bout that."  Controllers are human too.  Sure they might be busy, but they also forget things sometimes as well.  At big airports in the U.S, it is not uncommon for an aircraft to receive landing clearance upon immediately switching to tower frequency when they are 10-12 miles out...even though there are 10 other aircraft ahead of them on final.

 

You'll also notice that I didn't say "miles out."  What I did say is that it is silly to initiate a go around at 50' because you didn't receive landing clearance.  Besides, what do you think would ###### a controller off more:  "Clogging up" the frequency for 5 seconds by asking him if your cleared or increasing his workload exponentially by executing a unexpected go around and now he has to issue you vectors and clear other aircraft out of your way since your in 'such busy airspace.'

 

It is very easy to tell who the real pilots are 'round here.

 

I am a RW pilot and have never had a controller forget to give me a landing clearance.

 

I didn't know you were from the US, which likely explains your viewpoint. As you say, in the US you can be cleared to land miles out when they're number 5, 6, 7 etc, so if you don't get a clearance until late in the approach that probably means they forgot, as you say.

 

In the UK (in fact I think most places outside of the US) a controller cannot issue a landing clearance unless the runway is free. That means landing clearances are routinely issued late at busy airports. You'll be told to "expect late landing clearance" (to acknowledge your presence). Asking if the controller forgot issue a landing clearance is unlikely to be of any use because a) the preceding aircraft hasn't vacated so they can't give it to you or b) the preceding aircraft has just vacated, but now too close to ask the question and get a response in time.

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