Dennis Johnson wrote:

I was flying in Northern California the other day, VFR without a
cloud in the sky, and asked Oakland Center for a practice ILS
approach to Chico, a nearby towered airport. I said I would
terminate the approach with a missed approach and then depart the
area without flight following.
The controller agreed and gave me vectors to final, but said I would
have to fly my own altitudes. I'd never heard that before, but it
wasn't a problem for me. After getting established on the localizer,
he told me to squawk VFR and to go to the tower frequency. I did,
and reported my position to the tower, who acted surprised that I was
there and didn't seem to know anything about me or my intentions.

I thought that when I get a practice approach from Center or
Approach, they coordinate the handoff to the control tower. But that
didn't seem to be the case this time. What do you think was going
on? What's normal?

This is what's normal, taken from the Oakland ARTCC and Chico FCT Letter of
Agreement:


1. PURPOSE. To establish procedures for the control and coordination of
IFR, Special VFR (SVFR), and Practice Instrument Approach operations at the
Chico Municipal Airport. This agreement supplements procedures contained in
the current Order 7110.65, Air Traffic Control.

4. PROCEDURES.

d. VFR Practice Approaches



(1) The Center shall advise the Tower if an aircraft is on a "VFR
Practice Approach" when forwarding arrival information. These aircraft may
be provided standard IFR separation.

(2) The term "VFR Practice Approach" shall be used by the Center to the
tower in coordination of non-IFR approaches.

(3) The Tower shall advise the Center when the approach has terminated.



NOTE-

Missed approach is not authorized for VFR practice approaches.