EGF456 got the clearance three minutes after you, but you don't know where
he is.

Sure I do. He's three minutes behind me. He's been three minutes behind me
since we left ORD. We filed the same route and the same altitude. Every
step of the way I heard ATC issue him the same instruction I was issued,
just three minutes later. I heard him report out of the same altitudes I
did, just three minutes later.

That wasn't part of the original scenario, but I'll bite. He will be at
5000 while I am descending in the hold to 3000. At 500 feet per minute
I'll have 1500 feet of vertical clearance when he goes whizzing by overhead.

But this is the crux of the matter. I've already said that if I were at
the right altitude and reasonably on track, I'd go right in (no PT).
You've indicated the same, and also that if you were not at the right
altitude (say, 5000 feet), you'd get a new vector (and likely be sent to
the back of the line) if you couldn't get an earlier clearance. This is
also reasonable and I'd do the same.

If you are dealt an inappropriate slam dunk (5000 on a 3000 approach),
do you go missed or make it work? If you make it work, how would you
lose the altitude?

I suppose it's a bit off track of the PT question, though hold in lieu
is one way to lose altitude, and is permitted most places a PT is.

Jose
--
Get high on gasoline: fly an airplane.
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