PLT OF A C182 TURNED BASE AND FINAL AT CRQ ARPT WHEN THE TWR CTLR ADVISED HIM TO DO SO. HOWEVER; HE HEARD ANOTHER ACFT SAY HE HAD BEEN CUT OFF AND OBSERVED ANOTHER ACFT JUST AHEAD ABOUT 75 FT. THE TWR CTLR ADVISED HIM TO CONTINUE TO LNDG SINCE THE OTHER ACFT WAS ON A LOW APCH ONLY.

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PALOMAR TWR WAS VERY BUSY. 1 ACFT WAS SENT AROUND 3 TIMES BECAUSE OF FASTER TFC ON THE STRAIGHT-IN APCH. AT ONE POINT I HEARD A DIFFERENT VOICE CORRECTING THE LCL CTLR; SO I WAS ESPECIALLY ALERT. I CALLED FOR LNDG FROM OVER OCN VOR AND WAS INSTRUCTED 'MAKE R TFC FOR RWY 24 AND RPT DOWNWIND;' WHICH I DID. ON DOWNWIND I WAS TOLD THAT MY TFC WAS 4 MI OUT ON A STRAIGHT-IN APCH. I SLOWED DOWN TO AVOID EXTENDING TOO FAR OUT AND WAS THEN CONCERNED ABOUT ANOTHER C182 (SAME AS ME) WHO WAS FOLLOWING ME AND WAS ASKED SEVERAL TIMES IF HE HAD ME IN SIGHT. I WAS 1 1/2 - 2 MI OUT; ON DOWNWIND AT PATTERN ALT; WHEN THE CTLR SAID 'CESSNA ABCD YOUR TFC IS AT YOUR 1 O'CLOCK POS; DO YOU HAVE HIM IN SIGHT?' I ANSWERED 'IF IT IS AN ORANGE AND WHITE HIGH WING; I DO.' HE THEN QUERIED '(NO TYPE; JUST A NUMBER) WHAT COLOR ARE YOU?' THE ANSWER; 'ORANGE AND WHITE;' WHEREUPON THE CTLR TOLD ME TO 'TURN BASE; CLRED TO LAND!' AS I TURNED ON BASE; I HEARD A VOICE SAY SOMETHING LIKE 'HE CUT US OFF' BUT DIDN'T CONNECT THAT WITH MY POS UNTIL ON ROLLING OUT ON FINAL I SAW A CESSNA ONLY 1 OR 2 WINGSPANS AHEAD OF ME AND SLIGHTLY HIGHER. I EXCLAIMED 'THERE IS SOMEONE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!' AND THE CTLR SAID SOMETHING LIKE 'IT'S ALL RIGHT; HE IS MAKING A LOW APCH ONLY; YOU ARE STILL CLRED TO LAND.' I DID NOT CATCH THE N-NUMBER OF THIS ACFT; BUT I HAVE TO GIVE A LOT OF CREDIT TO THE INSTRUCTOR OR SAFETY PLT FOR NOT HITTING ME. AT NO TIME DID I SEE HIM EARLIER. I THINK THE CTLR MADE A SERIOUS ERROR IN THAT HE MUST HAVE OVERLOOKED THE AIRPLANE THAT HE GAVE ME AS TFC. IT MIGHT POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN FLYING A L-HAND PATTERN. PALOMAR TWR HAS A DIFFICULT TIME NOW WITH SCHEDULED AIRLINE TFC AND TRAINING AND TRANSIENT ACFT APCHING FROM N AND S FOR THEIR ONE RWY. END NOTE: I RECENTLY HAD A TOUR OF THE ATC TRAINING FACILITY AT FAA ACADEMY IN OKLAHOMA CITY; OK. THE GUIDE (A RETIRED CTLR) TOLD US THAT NO LONGER ARE THEY ALLOWED TO FAIL ANYONE IN THE COURSE. THAT THEY ARE SENT; QUALIFIED; OR NOT; TO A TWR TO CONTINUE TRAINING. IF THIS IS TRUE; IT SEEMS VERY UNWISE TO ME.