PLT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN DSNDED TO A LOWER TRANSITION ALT PRIOR TO RECEIVING AN APPROPRIATE CLRNC.

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I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM WHITE PLAINS; NY; TO RUTLAND STATE ARPT IN RUTLAND; VT. THE MAJORITY OF MY FLT WAS IN IMC. I WAS PROCEEDING NE ON V487 AT 9000 FT TOWARDS THE CAMBRIDGE VOR AND BEGAN ACCUMULATING LIGHT ICE. I REQUESTED; AND WAS GIVEN 7000 FT BY ALBANY APCH (125.0) WHICH WAS BELOW THE FREEZING LEVEL. AS I APCHED CAMBRIDGE; HOWEVER; I AGAIN BEGAN TO ACCUMULATE ICE. AT THIS POINT; I REQUESTED THE CAMBRIDGE TRANSITION TO RUTLAND AS THE PUBLISHED ALT IS 5000 FT; WHICH ALT CAN ONLY BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TRANSITION. ALBANY CLRED ME TO RUTLAND ARPT VIA THE CAMBRIDGE TRANSITION. UPON REACHING THE CAMBRIDGE VOR; I BEGAN A DSCNT TO 5000 AND ANNOUNCED TO ALBANY THAT I WAS 'LEAVING 7 FOR 5.' I BELIEVE ALBANY 'ROGERED' AND TOLD ME TO CONTACT BOSTON ON 135.7. IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH BOSTON UNTIL AT ABOUT 6000 FT; AND ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS LEAVING '6 FOR 5.' BOSTON 'ROGERED.' HALFWAY TO RUTLAND ON THE TRANSITION; BOSTON INQUIRED AS TO WHO GAVE ME AN ALT OF 5000 FT; AND I REPLIED THAT ALBANY CLRED ME FOR THE TRANSITION. BOSTON SAID THAT THE TRANSITION CLRNC DID NOT CONSTITUTE A CLRNC TO THE LOWER ALT; AND THAT I COULD ONLY DSND TO THE LOWER ALT HAD I BEEN CLRED FOR THE APCH VIA THE TRANSITION. THE CTLR TOLD ME THAT IT WAS 'NOT A PROBLEM' BUT IF THERE WAS A SW DEP FROM RUTLAND; HE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE ME CLB BACK TO 7000. AS I WAS VFR AT 5000; I CANCELLED MY IFR FLT PLAN AND CONTINUED TO RUTLAND. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT AS I UNDERSTAND IT FROM THE BOSTON CTLR. I BELIEVE THAT I HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF ALT RULES AND TRULY BELIEVED THAT I WOULD DSND TO THE TRANSITION ALT HAVING BEEN CLRED FOR THE TRANSITION. I HAVE ASKED A NUMBER OF INSTRUCTORS WITH VARIED INTERPRETATIONS. AS SUCH; PERHAPS THIS CAN BE MORE CLRLY INDICATED BY THE CTLR SUCH AS 'CLRED FOR THE TRANSITION; MAINTAIN 7000;' AS IS DONE WHEN YOU ARE CLRED FOR AN APCH.