"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
oups.com...

In some sense the letter seems to be a bit BS. How is the pilot to know
what LOA are in place between the facilities?


Why would the pilot need to know?



In some very busy areas
(So Cal) its very common for approach to not hand you off to another
tower (not theirs) until they put you almost on downwind. It will be
interesting to hear from the controllers on the list. In non-busy
airspace it would be easy to immagine being able to get enough radio
time to query.


First of all a "handoff" is strictly a radar function. It is the action
taken to transfer the radar identification of an aircraft from one
controller to another if the aircraft will enter the receiving controller's
airspace and radio communications with the aircraft will be transferred. It
is NOT the transfer of radio communications.

If you're arriving VFR and you're almost on downwind within Class D airspace
and still on Center/approach frequency it's because the radar controller
forgot about you or was too busy with other duties to tell you to contact
the tower. Don't get into that position. Before entering Class D airspace
tell the radar controller bye-bye and contact the tower. If frequency
congestion does not permit the bye-bye then just contact the tower.