Airport in Sight

One cool trick to skip a lot of approach proceedures into busy is to notify ATC as soon as you see the airport. This is assuming you are VMC! A controller cannot clear you for the visual. However, if a pilot has the airport in sight you can skip the approach and save 5 to 10 minutes executing an uneccessary approach. Typically this occures if you are in IMC and during the approach decend through the clouds into VMC conditions. The same holds true for aircraft in the pattern. If an aircraft in front of you has been cleared for the visual and you have that aircraft in sight the controller can clear you for the approach regardless if you have the airport in sight. A controller can clear you for this approach. The key thing is to keep your head up with traffic movement in around of you and be aware. It does not hurt to notify that you have aircraft in sight ahead of you. This will clue the controller into the fact that they can clear you for the approach as well.