AN ACR FLC FLYING AN SF340 FROM SYA RPTS CONFLICTING AND CONFUSING CLB INSTRUCTIONS FROM ATC.

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DEPARTED SYR FOR BOS. I HAVE HAD THIS SEQUENCE A TOTAL OF 8 TIMES DURING THIS MONTH. TO DATE WE'VE FLOWN THIS TRIP 5 TIMES. FO WAS THE PF. ABOUT 10 MINS OUT (20 MI) FROM SYR; WE WERE GIVEN A HDG OF 120 DEGS; DIRECT ALB WHEN ABLE; CLB TO 12000 FT. I READ BACK THE CLRNC WITH THE 12000 FT; SET 12000 FT; POINTED TO IT AND THE FO POINTED AND REPEATED '12000 FT.' SEVERAL MINS PASSED OF NEAR TOTAL RADIO SILENCE (THIS APPEARS TO BE A SLOW TIME IN SYR'S AIRSPACE) BEFORE WE LEVELED OFF AT THE ASSIGNED 12000 FT. ONCE WE LEVELED OFF; THE CTLR CALLED; DID YOU STOP AT 12000 FT?' I THOUGHT THAT MAYBE HE HAD GIVEN US A HIGHER CLB THAT I SOMEHOW MAY HAVE MISSED. I REPLIED; 'YES SIR; LEVEL AT 12000 FT AS ASSIGNED.' 'NEGATIVE; YOU WERE GIVEN 10000 FT. I'VE NEVER GIVEN 12000 FT IN THE 9 YRS I'VE BEEN HERE!' THE CTLR SAID VERY BELLIGERENTLY. I CHKED WITH THE FO. WAS I INCORRECT? HADN'T HE HEARD 12000 FT TOO? HE CONFIRMED THAT HE 'THOUGHT' THAT HE HAD HEARD 12000 FT ALSO. 'NO SIR. I JUST CHKED WITH MY FO. WE BOTH HEARD 12000 FT; SET AND CONFIRMED IT.' I TRIED TO EXPLAIN. THE REPLY FROM THE CTLR WAS AN UNINTELLIGIBLE GRUMBLE AND HDOF TO ZBW WITH NO FURTHER MENTION OF THE EVENT. THE FOLLOWING DAY; I AGAIN WAS THE PNF ON THE SAME FLT WITH A DIFFERENT FO. I HAD FILLED HIM IN ON THE PREVIOUS DAY'S EVENTS SO WE WERE WAITING SPECIFICALLY TO HEAR WHAT WOULD BE GIVEN FOR A CLRNC. SURE ENOUGH; THE CTLR (A DIFFERENT GENTLEMAN) SAID; 'TURN TO 120 DEGS; DIRECT ALBANY WHEN ABLE; CLB TO 12000 FT.' 'SEE!?' I SAID TO MY FO AS I READ BACK THE CLRNC AND SET THE 12000 FT ASSIGNED ALT. I TOLD THE FO TO CLB SLOWLY TO GIVE ME TIME TO QUERY THE CTLR THIS TIME. 'SYRACUSE; DO YOU HAVE TIME FOR A QUESTION?' I ASKED THE CTLR. WHEN HE SAID HE DID; I PRESENTED THE QUESTION TO HIM IF IT IS; OR IS NOT; NORMAL TO BE CLRED TO 12000 FT AT THAT POINT ON THAT ROUTING. HE SAID; 'NO; I CLRED YOU TO 10000 FT.' I ANSWERED; 'NO SIR; THE SAME THING HAPPENED YESTERDAY; I WAS WAITING TODAY TO HEAR SPECIFICALLY WHAT YOU WOULD SAY. YOU STATED '12000 FT.' MY FO AND I BOTH CLRLY HEARD IT AND SET IT.' 'OH GEE; I THOUGHT I GAVE YOU 10000 FT. MUST BE THINKING ABOUT CALL SIGNS; HDGS; AND MAINTAINING 10000 FT. SORRY.' I WAS VINDICATED! ALL OF THIS CONVERSATION WAS NON CONFRONTATIONAL ALBEIT VERY INFORMATIVE. HAVING A DIFFERENT FO THERE AS A WITNESS TO THE WHOLE PROCESS MADE IT MUCH MORE BELIEVABLE THAT IT WAS INDEED JUST ONE OF THOSE PLT/CTLR ERRORS THAT WE ALL READ ABOUT. EVEN THOUGH I HAD READ BACK AND CONFIRMED WITH THE OTHER PLT THE STATED ALT; IT WAS INCORRECT AND CTLR FAILED TO CATCH IT. IN THE FUTURE; A DOUBLE READBACK OF ASSIGNED ALTS MAY BE THE ORDER OF THE DAY. NEEDLESS TO SAY; THIS COMING MONDAY WHEN I FLY THIS TRIP AGAIN; I'LL BE LISTENING VERY CAREFULLY AT THAT JUNCTURE!