Approach telling me I couldn't do a missed appraoch

[Dave Siciliano]

I filed to fly instrument approaches at KGYI yesterday which is an airport without RADAR coverage to the ground. IMC at the FAF but the field was VFR. I flew the ILS17 after some vectors from approach and told them it would result in a missed approach for me to come back and do another. He acknowledged and turned me over to tower. On short final, tower told me to go ahead and land that approach couldn't take me back then. (They were pretty busy.). Tower cleared me for a stop and go, then, after a few minutes told me to go ahead and taxi back. Tower asked me what I wanted to do and I repeated I'd like to do another ILS17, then, return to Addison. Approach had cancelled my IFR clearance. I was issued another clearance after about 10 minutes and on climb out, approach asked what I wanted to do again.
So, how does approach tell me I can't do a missed approach and cancel my IFR clearance? A first for me.

[B.Butler]

What was the weather?

[Dave Siciliano]

At the subject airport, it was VFR, but at the FAF IMC. Nice day for practice approaches as one was IMC past the FAF on the approach, then broke out. I could see the runway about 2.5 miles from it on the approach, but clearer lower. My home field was about the same. I needed an IFR clearance to be up there, but visual conditions lower.

[B.Butler]

There are lots of possible explanations, but let's let Occam shave this one. He was busy and your practice is low priority. When you requested another approach was the best time for him to say: "Make full stop or depart VFR."

To which the customary response is, "Okay, thanks. We're gonna do a seat change and grab a sandwich. Call ya in about an hour."

[Dave Siciliano]

Thanks. Understand he was busy. No way for us to do VFR approaches or RTB VFR. Funny situation.

[B.Butler]

Thanks. Understand he was busy. No way for us to do VFR approaches or RTB VFR. Funny situation.

Assuming you mean: "funny" peculiar, it isn't. Happens every hour somewhere in the system.

Were you smart enough to file in advance back to your home base? If so, when he declined the practice approach, your move was to request your departure clearance: "Thanks, we'll get out of your hair, requesting IFR to Bumfrak."

If you didn't file in advance, requesting IFR may have just turned you into another kind of distraction he didn't need, depending on a whole bunch of variables, mostly involving airspace design.

[Dave Siciliano]

We had filed IFR. Ceilings were 1,100 feet at Addison when we departed. No way to go anywhere VFR and keep cloud clearance. We had filed to GYI and put practice approaches in the notes section. We usually do several approaches; then, ask to return to KADS. They don’t like us to file back to Addison on IFR flight plans. Had he given me an option, I certainly would have just asked to return to KADS. He probably just had his hands full and staffing might have been light.
thanks for your insight.

[B.Butler]

Clearly, his best move was t inform you before the frequency change. But we will have those: "I shoulda told him..." moments.