Originally Posted by
WhatShortage
Keep reporting leaving flight levels in Europe in which some airspaces you just need to say you call sign ( Shannon as example) and you'll be laughed at or someone will tell you there's no need for that.
If cleared to "descend FL xxx when ready" I consider it good practice to report actually leaving the current level, even more so if a frequency change is in between. This might be less of an issue in these days of ADS-B when the controller sees your selected FL anyway, but it still can't hurt to close the loop and let him know that the descent he cleared is actually starting. If it's busy then any on-the-air discussion of what is superfluous and what not is not going to ease frequency congestion...I can't remember hearing anyone being told off on the air for superfluous radio transmissions in over 30 years of flying, but then I haven't been to Shannon.