5miles,
good question. And you phrased it perfectly....exactly as a pilot would see it. "What do your SOP's say for this??"
Well unfortunately the answer is probably nothing. My company SOP's don't cover it. The reason being that this is a result of an AD (airworthiness Directive) issued by Boing which just covers the technical aspects of how to operate the aircraft under the conditions of the AD. Boeing will not tell you how to liase with ATC, that is an airline 'thing'....non-technical. As it is a temporary measure (until aircraft are modified with new elevator trim tabs) my guess is that most airlines will tell their crews to 'operate as per the AD' rather than writing amplified procedures which will be binned as the fleet upgrade programs roll on, which is what my company basically did.
However, the crews are starting to realise that it causes you a problem and are now pre-empting this, but obviousy not eveyone. Indeed I remeber listening to a less than subtle hint, which made me feel a tad uncomfortable, from a controller early on in this debacle which prompted me to follow your suggested procedure from that point forward.
However, it shouldn't be a controller teaching crews that they caused a problem via suble inuendos (and I shouldn't feel a tad uncomfortable for not doing anything percievably wrong....see my opening comment). I noticed recently that AMS have a NOTAM saying that this very situation should be declared on first contact. That sounds lke a better way to handle it. Otherwise you are relying on airlines to have overstaffed traing depts to write amplified SOP's for every scenario.
So either we struggle through it till the aircraft get modified, get all opators to write an SOP, or the busy TMA's could issue NOTAMS. I don't know which is best and there probably are more solutions. I'm not trying to say any paricular solution is right (or blame anyone), just trying to help give you some info on what I think is a very good question.
BTW please don't throw the 5kts FP deviation rule at me....thats being a bit pedantic....and non-constructive.
Cheers....Bomber
edited....spet your name wrong 5miles...sorry..stumpy fingers