PLT OF PA28 AND APCH CTLR AT OMN ENCOUNTER HEARBACK READBACK MISUNDERSTANDING AS TO LOCAL IFR CLRNC DURING RECURRENT IFR TRAINING FLT.

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DURING A FLT TO ACCOMPLISH IFR RECURRENCE TRAINING. I HAD FLOWN FROM X47 TO OMN; REFUELED THE AIRPLANE AT OMN AND DEPARTED WBOUND VFR. I CONTACTED DAYTONA BEACH APCH WHILE CLBING THROUGH 1000 FT MSL I REQUESTED A LCL IFR CLRNC AND ADVISED I WOULD LIKE TO SHOOT SOME PRACTICE APCHS INTO DAYTONA BEACH; DELAND AND ORMOND BEACH. CEILINGS IN THE AREA WERE BROKEN AT 1800-2500 FT MSL. THE REPLY FROM THE CTLR WAS TO SQUAWK XXXX AND SAY FIRST REQUEST. I ASKED FOR 2 ILS RWY 7L INTO DAB AND THEN THE VOR INTO ORM. THE CTLR REPLIED RADAR CONTACT AND BEGAN TO GIVE ME VECTORS TO THE APCH. THE ALT ASSIGNED WAS 2000 FT MSL. WHILE ON VECTORS FOR JUST A FEW MINS ONE OF THE CTLRS REPLIES INCLUDED 'MAINTAIN VFR' WITHIN THE BROADCAST INSTRUCTIONS. A BELL WENT OFF IN MY HEAD AT THE SAME MOMENT THAT MY SAFETY PLT ASKED; 'VFR; AREN'T WE IFR?' IT TOOK 2 SHORT RADIO CALLS TO GET THE BUSY CTLR BACK ON THE RADIO AND I ASKED; 'DON'T WE HAVE A LCL IFR CLRNC; BECAUSE I'M IN AND OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT THIS POINT?' HER REPLY 'YOU DIDN'T ASK FOR A LCL IFR OR I WOULD BE GLAD TO GIVE YOU ONE; BUT NO YOU ARE NOT AT THIS POINT; ARE YOU ASKING FOR ONE NOW?' MY REPLY; 'YES MA'AM; I THOUGHT I DID AND I NEED TO DO SOMETHING NOW BECAUSE I AM IN THE CLOUDS AND IMC. DO YOU WANT ME TO DSND TO VFR?' HER REPLY; 'NO; CHANGE SQUAWK TO XXXX AND CLRED LCL IFR.' FROM THIS POINT FORWARD THERE WAS NO MENTION OF THE ERROR AND WE PROCEEDED TO DO OUR TRAINING FLT. I BELIEVE I ASKED FOR THE LCL IFR AND ONCE RECEIVED THE FIRST SQUAWK CODE I WAS 'CLRED IFR' BY ATC RADIO XMISSION. ONLY THE VOICE RECORDINGS CAN SHOW WHO SAID WHAT.