wrote:

My take on it is that since the controller had already planned on
clearing you for the ILS, or perhaps had already done so, your late
request for a visual didn't really change anything and so he intended
for you to continue on your heading to intercept the localizer, fly to
ROYCE and then descend to the runway.

This seems simple unless you left still more out of the story.

I think that's close to right, but I think he had another reason for the
routing, probably traffic. There are an awful lot of helicopters at Hobby.

The vector I was on was a "right base" for the ILS, not the intercept vector.
I didn't request the visual, just called the field in sight; perhaps that's
splitting hairs.

--
Dan
T-182T at BFM