Cleared to Land

[Rdiigen]

Yeah Gday.

Noticed while listening to radio for KLAX that they clear more than 1 aircraft to land on runway. 

Just curious as to why they do this, as here in Australia you they dont clear an aircraft to land unless they are number 1 to land and the runway is clear.

cheers

[CL30]

59 minutes ago, Rdiigen said:

Yeah Gday.

Noticed while listening to radio for KLAX that they clear more than 1 aircraft to land on runway. 

Just curious as to why they do this, as here in Australia you they dont clear an aircraft to land unless they are number 1 to land and the runway is clear.

cheers

This is common in the US.  We'll be cleared to land behind other arriving aircraft.  Often, they'll call out traffic to follow and, once we report them in sight, they'll clear us for a visual approach and/or landing "Number 2 behind a Southwest 737," for example.  If they want to sneak a departure out ahead of us, they'll cancel our landing clearance and have us continue with "Traffic holding in position."  They'll then clear us to land once that traffic has cleared.

[P057code]

Its the same at my local airport. We've had 3 or 4 aircraft lined up to land, and as CL30 puts, you will hear them tell the following aircraft which company they're following.

[crbascott]

The FAA allows for the use of anticipated separation. Here's a little blurb from the ATC policy document.  

3−10−6. ANTICIPATING SEPARATION

a. Landing clearance to succeeding aircraft in a landing sequence need not be withheld if you observe the positions of the aircraft and determine that prescribed runway separation will exist when the aircraft crosses the landing threshold. Issue traffic information to the succeeding aircraft if a preceding arrival has not been previously reported and when traffic will be departing prior to their arrival.

EXAMPLE−
“American Two Forty−Five, Runway One−Eight, cleared to land, number two following a United Seven−Thirty− Seven two mile final. Traffic will depart prior to your arrival.”

“American Two Forty−Five, Runway One−Eight, cleared to land. Traffic will depart prior to your arrival.”

NOTE−
Landing sequence number is optional at tower facilities where the arrival sequence to the runway is established by the approach control.