Dave Butler wrote:


Matthew S. Whiting wrote:

Dave Butler wrote:

----------------
AIM 5-3-3. Additional Reports

a. The following reports should be made to ATC or FSS facilities
without a specific ATC request:

1. At all times.

(a) When vacating any previously assigned altitude or flight level
for a newly assigned altitude or flight level.
...
----------------

Richard, please explain why the citation above does not apply
(assuming the O.P.'s starting altitudes were "assigned").

The AIM doesn't say (for example) "...unless the altitude assignment
is superceded by a clearance for a visual approach".



It doesn't have to say that as it would be redundant. There is no way
to fly the visual approach clearance without descending! So, once you
are cleared for the visual, you are cleared to descend and turn as
required to execute the approach.


I'm not saying you can't descend when cleared for the visual (please
read what I wrote). I'm saying if you're at-an-assigned-altitude and
cleared for the visual, you have to report, since you're "vacating a
previously assigned altitude".

My phraseology would be "spamcan 33333 cleared for the visual approach",
then when I (later) start the descent, "spamcan 33333 leaving 5000".

I'll concede that there is some ambiguity about whether the visual
approach is a "newly assigned altitude". I guess you could also argue
that in the above example 5000 is no longer an assigned altitude. Is
that what you are saying? OK.

Yes, this is my assertion.

Matt