What makes ATC give you a sidestep approach?

[Mace 1,927]

When ATC tells you to do a sidestep approach, is this just a random thing, or is there some basis for ATC doing this?RhettAMD 3700+ (@2585 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2gb Corsair XMS 3-3-3-8 (1T), WD 150 gig 10000rpm Raptor, WD 250gig 7200rpm SATA2, Seagate 120gb 5400 rpm external HD, CoolerMaster Praetorian

[Daveo 36]

It happens to me when for instance if Im assigned say RWY 33L approach and i request RWY 33R from the controller. I havent had it happen any other time but I guess if there is traffic on the runway for one reason or another it could happen also.

[Virtualwombat 4]

Yep, if you decline a clearance and select another approach, ATC will often give the approach you want but won't change the runway. So it often takes two declines to change both runway and approach.Cheers,Noel.

[Guest tcable]

IN real live, I've gotten a bunch of these into KDABILS 7l Sidestep 7R generally due to the fact that there was a DC-9 or MD80 hot on my heels with a fairly high ceiling so we could step over early on the approach.DAB is the home of ERAU and swarms of flight training. mix in commercial service (was a lot more in 1990 than now) and it could get interesting. But it was fun.

[brucek 38]

The clue that you may get a side-step is that tower will ask you to report when you have a visual on the field. At least that's been my experience. Usually, as someone else here said, it's faster a/c in trail that will triggar this- or perhaps tower wants to get an instrument departure out ahead of you and it makes better sense to land on the parallel.A side-step usually implies that the other runway doesn't have an instrument procedure, or not one that is useful for you to use. However, with the advent of GPS/RNAV approaches being rapidly populated (at least here in the US), now most runways have an approach if you have the gear on board to use it.Bruce.

[Mace 1,927]

>Yep, if you decline a clearance and select another approach,>ATC will often give the approach you want but won't change the>runway. So it often takes two declines to change both runway>and approach.>>Cheers,>>Noel.Ah yes that is what must have happened. They initially assigned me 3L, but I wanted ILS 3R approach...I forgot to decline the runway too I suppose...RhettAMD 3700+ (@2585 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2gb Corsair XMS 3-3-3-8 (1T), WD 150 gig 10000rpm Raptor, WD 250gig 7200rpm SATA2, Seagate 120gb 5400 rpm external HD, CoolerMaster Praetorian

[Geofa 108]

I get them all the time in real life. My busy home airport has two close parallel runways-one with an ils. So if you are ifr you will be using 9R. However-the shorter 9L is usually used by the small Ga aircraft and 9R by the business jets/commercial aircraft. So often I will start (especially in ifr conditions) the ils 9R-once breaking out and getting a visual they will sidestep me to 9L so they can free up 9R for those faster and more congested traffic. You will find a lot of airports with runways set up like this- Knoxville, Boise come to mind where I've had this happen too. Also-my hangar is right next to 9L-so often I will ask for the sidestep -with two engines burning 28 gallons/hr. every thing you can do to get you there faster helps. :-)http://mywebpages.comcast.net/geofa/pages/rxp-pilot.jpg

[NM5K 1]

LOL.. I just happened to comment on this in the previous thread.. I wish it would give the optionto actually run the approach you request, ratherthan having to do the sidestep.. Sometimes, I want the ILS, and they won't let meuse it... I'm in jets most the time..So I oftenprefer the longer runway with ILS vs a short stripwith no ILS. But many of the flight plans I run for the lear set me up for the dinky "VFR" runways.MK