Originally Posted by grrowler
Any ATCers, what's the go with;
When changing to certain towers:
"YXXX Tower, ABC"
"ABC, YXXX Tower, continue approach"
As opposed to what?
Is this call a requirement?
Do I need to read back this instruction?
"Continue Approach" is probably a bit of unnecessary padding. You don't have to read it back! It has been around for a long time and probably relates to "Procedural Towers" IE those without a Radar Approach service. Typically those towers would have progressively issued instructions for descent and then clearance for final approach. If a landing clearance is not immediately available it makes sense to simply say "continue approach"
An acknowledgement with callsign only sounds a bit blunt. It happens with the "Ready" call too and some controllers say "Hold Short of the runway" but others just acknowledge with a callsign.
Certain Tower checkers are more vigorous than others in pursuing the stamping out of unnecessary TWR transmissions