GA PLT HAS ALTDEV AND POSSIBLE CLASS D ENTRY WHEN HE IS OPERATING IN AN UNFAMILIAR TRSA FOR ARR AT THE UNDERLYING CLASS D ARPT.

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WAS ASKED TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT OR ABOVE BY APCH. WAS GIVEN A TA. WHILE LOOKING FOR AND FINDING THE TFC; I ALSO OBSERVED THE ARPT A FEW MI AHEAD. APCH INFORMED I WAS AT 2700 FT. I IMMEDIATELY CLBED BACK TO 3000 FT. APCH TOLD ME TO EXPECT A R BASE TO RWY 27 AND TO BEGIN A DSCNT. AT LESS THAN 2 MI FROM THE ARPT AND STILL AT ABOUT 2500 FT; APCH TOLD ME TO CONTACT THE TWR. BY THE TIME CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE TWR; I WAS VIRTUALLY OVER THE ARPT AND STILL ALMOST 2000 FT AT MIDFIELD. TWR POINTED OUT PROX TO ARPT (EXPECTATION OF R BASE?). I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED PERMISSION FOR A L DOWNWIND. HEARD TWR CONVERSATIONS WITH ANOTHER ACFT DOING PRACTICE APCHS. LANDED UNEVENTFULLY; BUT WAS 'URGED' BY TWR TO EXIT RWY PROMPTLY; WHICH I DID. ALT DROP FROM 3000 FT TO 2700 FT WAS PROBABLY A RESULT OF A COMBINATION OF FACTORS: 1) ALMOST 4 HRS OF NIGHT FLYING; 2 OF WHICH WERE AT 7500 FT. 2) INATTN TO ALT WHILE LOOKING FOR TFC. 3) KIND OF SUBCONSCIOUS CONCERN ABOUT SEEING ARPT AND STILL BEING AT 3000 FT; WITH ARPT AT ELEVATION OF 221 FT AND LESS THAN 10 MI AWAY. WOULD SUGGEST EITHER QUICKER TWR CONTACT AND/OR APCH 'VECTORING' FOR 'PROPER RWY ENTRY.' THE CONFIGN OF THE TRSA AND PROX OF THE 2 ARPTS (MAXWELL AFB AND MONTGOMERY REGIONAL) MUST MAKE APCHS FROM THE N SEEM HIGH WHEN GOING TO MGM.