I have had a class D airport (under a class C ring) in the clear in
bright sun, but a TS 3 miles out on the ILS caused the terminal METAR to
be ceiling something like 800 vis 2. Flying by the field no visual
approach allowed and I sure didn't want the ILS, so contact came to mind
and was promptly approved.

A few years later in the same area with the same conditions heard a
plane ask for the visual. Controller came back with " Cherokee 1234X
that was stepped on, were you requesting a contact approach?" Nobody was
stepped on, but 34X got the idea quickly and said "affirmative"

Russ MacDonald wrote:
There is supposed to be consideration as to whether or not the field is
IFR
or VFR. The controller must ensure that weather conditions at the airport
are VFR or that the pilot has been informed that weather is not available
for the destination airport. If being vectored for the visual approach
there must be reasonable assurance (e.g. area weather reports, PIREPs,
etc.) that descent and flight to the airport can be made visually.


They descend me to MVA at my request, and once I call the field in sight,
they always clear me for the visual. If I don't see the field, I tell them,
and they climb me back up and clear me for an approach. They basically
leave the decision to me as to whether or not to go for the visual. They
don't seem to have any concern about whether the field has 1 mile visibility
or not (although, I don't think I could see the field if the visibility was
less than a mile).

After I read several posts discussing the contact approach, I began
wondering if requesting one might buy me anything. I just can't think of
any situation where I would be able to see something I recognized other than
the field, and still want to go for a non-instrument approach.