CORPORATE FLC SIN A NON ADHERENCE TO ATC INSTRUCTION CLRNC IN PROX OF TSTM ACTIVITY.

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WAS AT FL430; ZAU INSTRUCTED US TO DSND TO FL240. AS WE WERE OVER AN AREA OF EXTENSIVE LIGHTNING ACTIVITY; I ASKED FOR A DELAY IN DSCNT OR A VECTOR CLR OF AFOREMENTIONED ACTIVITY. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS NOT POSSIBLE AS ZID WANTED US AT FL240. I THEN REFUSED THE DSCNT. ANOTHER CTLR (PROBABLY A SUPVR) THEN GOT ON THE FREQ AND TOLD ME THAT I WAS IN VIOLATION OF FARS FOR REFUSING THE CLRNC. I THEN EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT I ALSO WOULD BE IN VIOLATION OF FARS IF I FLEW INTO ADVERSE WX CONDITIONS. AT THIS POINT I WAS TURNED OVER TO ZID AND THE FLT WAS COMPLETED UNEVENTFULLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 272206: WE WERE LEVEL AT FL430 AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO DSND TO FL240 BY ZAU. WE ADVISED THE CTLR THAT WE WERE OVER A LARGE AREA OF WX WITH EXTENSIVE LIGHTNING AND WOULD NEED TO DELAY OUR DSCNT. WE THEN SUGGESTED A VECTOR TO RESOLVE ANY CONFLICT; BUT HE AGAIN INSTRUCTED US TO DSND AND WE REFUSED. THE CTLR THEN ASKED US IF WE WERE REFUSING THE DSCNT CLRNC AND WE RESPONDED AFFIRMATIVE. THEN ANOTHER CTLR CAME ON THE FREQ AND ASKED IF WE WERE REFUSING TO DSND AND WE RESPONDED AFFIRMATIVE. HE THEN ADVISED US THAT WE WERE IN VIOLATION OF FARS AND WE EXPLAINED OUR FLT CONDITIONS AND REFUSED TO DSND.