BEGAN DESCENT FROM ALT WITHOUT CLRNC.

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I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM GRAND JUNCTION; CO TO CO SPRINGS; CO; VIA V26 V244 AT 17;000 MSL. WX WAS VMC WITH CUMULUS BUILDUPS AND TSTM ACTIVITY WITH MODERATE TURB REQUIRING FLT DEVIATIONS APPROVED BY DENVER CENTER. UPON APCHING THE VICINITY OF PUEBLO; CO; AND THE CO SPRINGS AREA; I HAD REQUESTED AND RECEIVED PERMISSION TO DSND FROM 17;000' MSL TO 12;000' MSL IN A STEP-DOWN FASHION FROM DENVER CENTER. I WAS TURNED OVER TO CO SPRINGS APCH CTL AND RADAR CONTACT WAS ACKNOWLEDGED. AS I APCHED CO SPRINGS WITH THE ARPT IN SIGHT; I REPEATEDLY CALLED ON ASSIGNED APCH FREQ WITH REQUESTS TO DSND; AND I CONTINUED AT MY ASSIGNED ALT. WHEN I FELT IT WAS NO LONGER SAFE TO CONTINUE AT THAT ALT AND WAS GETTING NO RESPONSE FROM APCH; I BEGAN A VFR DSCNT AND WAS IMMEDIATELY TOLD I HAD NO PERMISSION TO DO SO AT THAT TIME. I FEEL APCH SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST TOLD ME TO STAND BY INSTEAD OF IGNORING MY XMISSIONS. THERE WERE NO OTHER XMISSIONS ON THIS FREQ AT THE TIME OF THIS OCCURRENCE; SO I DO NOT FEEL THAT CAN BE USED AS AN EXCUSE. IT HAS BEEN MY EXPERIENCE THAT IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR THE CTLRS TO IGNORE XMISSIONS; AND THEN CAUSE PISTON ACFT TO DSND IN A RAPID AND UNSAFE MANNER OF OPERATION. THIS CAN ALSO CAUSE PAX DISCOMFORT IN UNPRESSURIZED ACFT. AIR TFC CTLRS SHOULD BE MADE MORE AWARE OF THE NEEDS OF THIS TYPE OF ACFT OPERATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR ADMITS HE SHOULD HAVE MAINTAINED HIS ALT UNTIL RECEIVING CLRNC. COULD HAVE CANCELLED IFR BUT REALLY WANTED TO HANG ON TO THE CLRNC. WOULD HAVE HAD NO PROB IF THE CTLR HAD ADVISED TO STAND BY; BUT HE GOT NO RESPONSE. DSCNT WAS MADE IN VFR CONDITIONS AND WHEN THE CTLR CALLED; HE SAID IT WAS OK TO STAY AT THE LOWER ALT. NO EXPLANATION OF WHY HIS CALLS WERE NOT ACKNOWLEDGED. DID ADMIT HE WANTED TO GET STARTED DOWN BECAUSE HIS WIFE HAS PROB CLRING HER EARS IN DSCNT.