Mark T. Dame wrote:




No, I'm not. I'm simply pointing out that I also have been right over
DAY without being assigned an altitude. While it may be "typical" to
assign an altitude in such a case, it is by no means unusual not to be
(or, as you stated "pretty odd"). I was merely pointing out that I have
been in the same situation as the OP: over DAY without having been
assigned an altitude.

If you are going right over the field altitude is not nearly as
important as position. If the runways are east/west and they are
departing to the west then tell the VFR aircraft to pass just to the
east of the airport and altitude is irrelavant. Of course if they are
not very busy at the time then no restriction is the right move.


Be that as it may, it is not unusual (nor "odd") to not be assigned an
altitude when over flying the airport associated with a class C airspace.

Most facilities use the ceiling of their airspace as the initial
altitude given to IFR departures. Here at BIL that means you get 12,000
or requested lower altitude. And since 90% of overflight traffic is
lower than that it would be stupid to take the overflights that high.