Who is responsible for initiating a contact approach?

The correct answer outlines that the pilot must specifically request a contact approach. This emphasizes the role of the pilot in managing the approach to ensure safety and communication with air traffic controllers (ATC). A contact approach is a procedure that allows pilots to navigate visually and may not be initiated without making a specific request, reflecting the pilot's responsibility for situational awareness and decision-making regarding the approach.

In this context, it's important to recognize that while ATC plays a significant role in air traffic management, certain procedures, such as contact approaches, require proactive engagement from pilots to ensure that they are prepared for visual navigation and that conditions are safe. This arrangement maintains a level of direct accountability, as pilots must evaluate their readiness for this type of approach based on visual references and weather conditions.

Other options suggest automatic assignment by ATC, unrestricted initiation by any arriving aircraft, or limitations to commercial pilots. However, these options do not accurately convey the operational protocol regarding who is permitted to initiate a contact approach, which is fundamentally grounded in a pilot's proactive request.