Ron Rosenfeld wrote:
On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:29:07 -0700, Bee wrote:


It was cross ROYCE at or above 2,000, *then* cleared for the visual.


I don't understand your point.

Because you said:

"But he wrote that he had been cleared for the visual."

The approach clearance is frequently/usually/always given after a
fix/crossing restriction.

He was NOT on vectors for an ILS approach.

I do not believe that to proceed direct ROYCE, from 4 miles SW of ROYCE,
for an ILS approach would even meet the requirements for proper ATC
handling.

So he was cleared via ROYCE as part of setting him up for a Visual
Approach.

Apparently so. Nonetheless, the visual approach was not authorized
until *after* crossing ROYCE at or above 2,000.

My guess is that the altitude restriction and course specification was
traffic related. Perhaps there was conflicting traffic for the parallel
runway.

Or, it could have been to assure MVA until ROYCE.