APCH CTLR WAS SURPRISED WHEN THE PLT OF A C182 ASKED THEM WHEN TURNING FINAL; AFTER BEING CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH; IF HE SHOULD CONTACT THE TWR. HE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH OVER THE TOP OF THE ARPT AND DID NOT HEAR TO CONTACT THE TWR PRIOR TO HIS INQUIRY.

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I WAS REQUESTED BY BALTIMORE APCH TO DSND TO 3000 FT FOR VECTORS TO A VISUAL APCH RWY 15 MTN. I WAS VECTORED OVER THE TOP OF MTN AND THEN CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH RWY 15 FROM AN ALT OF 3000 FT. (I WAS ACTIVELY TALKING TO APCH WHILE OVER THE ARPT.) I MADE A TURN TO ENTER A VERY HIGH L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 15. I FLEW THE PATTERN AND AS I TURNED FINAL I ASKED APCH IF I SHOULD CHANGE TO TWR FREQ. APCH SAID CHANGE TO TWR (THEY SEEMED SURPRISED). THE TWR WAS CERTAINLY SURPRISED BY MY POS. WHEN I LANDED GND CTL SAID THAT ATC HAD TOLD THEM THAT THEY ASKED ME TO CHANGE TO TWR FREQ 'SOME DISTANCE OUT' AND THAT THEY WERE SURPRISED WHEN I CALLED APCH ON FINAL. THIS WAS NOT TRUE. I WAS CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH WHEN I WAS DIRECTLY OVER THE ARPT. (WHY WOULD I BE 3000 FT OVER THE ARPT IF I HAD BEEN CLRED FOR THE VISUAL AND TOLD TO SWITCH OVER TO TWR 'SOME DISTANCE OUT?) WHILE I FEEL I DID NOTHING WRONG; I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED APCH ON THE CHANGEOVER TO TWR A LITTLE SOONER. HOWEVER; IT IS NOT UNUSUAL TO STAY WITH APCH UNTIL FINAL.