"Stan Prevost" wrote in message
...

Yes, I know, but when I have been given an instruction to advise of
altitude changes, and then when I advise of an altitude change and am told
to remain at my present altitude and he will give me lower in a few miles,
my choices are limited. I can start an argument on the frequency, cancel
IFR, disregard his instructions, or go along with what he says. There is
that pesky FAR that says pilots must comply with ATC clearances and
instructions (as long as they would not cause me to violate a FAR or
compromise the safety of my flight). Some say that pilots are not
obligated to comply with an instruction that an controller is not
authorized to give, but that is usually an issue to be sorted out on the
ground, IMO.

If he wanted to keep me at altitude, he could have and probably should
have assigned me a hard IFR altitude, such as 12000 (I was at 12500).
There is not a lot of difference in the end result, so why cause a scene
over it in the air?


You're dealing with a controller unfamiliar with VFR-on-top. Separation is
not an issue so there's no reason to keep you at altitude.