Flying to Deauville at the weekend IFR I asked for the RNAV 30 and got cleared for the approach via the IAF and told you are number one. Then after the IAF was asked to slow to minimum speed and told you are number one and a Robin is joining on base leg. Reported established on final approach track and told again you are number one and a Robin is on a two mile final. When exactly are you number one then?
Unless the atco was your wife this didn’t make sense.
Very odd, you should have asked him (politely) what does it mean, probably the other guy was not landing or that ATC starts counting from zero?
Tough, when I flew in the US west coast and I heard “Clear to land RWY21, you are number 2”, I asked for clarifications, the reply was “just carry on, number 1 will land and vacate soon”. Usually, I tend to get “clear to land + wind” just 50ft above threshold (UK ATC make sure their landing clearances are not wasted 
)
The ATCO is a programmer.
Dimme wrote:
The ATCO is a programmer
Indeed, a “real computer programmer” (low level C-like computer guy) will always starts with 0 
while “physical world scripters” (high level scientists) tend to start counting from 1 (e.g. fortran, matlab, smalltalk…), this gets them closer to ordinary peoples and the real physical world…
The same applies to TWR ATC, you have those who sits in a physical tower/window views and those in remote locations with live webcam/mode-S feeds, I think JohnR just picked from the latter
I presume they meant that you are currently the first on a recognised path to the runway (so don’t expect to see anyone ahead of you) but before you get there someone else will cut in front of you.
I think it’s to try and stop the question “Where is number 1? I’m not visual with them”.
But all it does is manage to create further confusion!
“You are number 2 to a Robin that is about to join on base leg” would have been less confusing!
Who cleared you for what? Here (US) you would normally be cleared for the approach by Approach, and for landing by Tower. I am not aware that Tower can clear you for an approach. The Tower would then say ‘number one’ or whatever, in the US typically adding the type of a/c you are following to give you an idea about possible speed differential.
Cleared for the approach by the approach controller on contact and when asked for the approach. Then transferred to tower as I approached the IAF and told number one etc. I put it down to laid back French controllers On departure I was given straight ahead on runway heading, R30, climb F60 and then on transfer to approach told “continue direct, climb F90”. I was no where near my flightplan route and the next waypoint on my plan would entail a 90° turn right so where is direct? When I asked “direct to where” he gave me a random point which was straight ahead and not on the plan. Quite nice when I was transferred to London control and got some proper ATC
Was it “bring your kid to work”-day ? Sounds like sloppy coördinations between TWR & APP.
