These days, with GPS-direct clearances available for IFR flights, you may think that filing for a VFR-on-top clearance doesn’t make sense. And being governed by both VFR and IFR rules may not sound particularly attractive either. But there are times when these clearances can be very handy. When there are localized low clouds, as there often are in coastal areas, you may want to file a VFR-on-top flight plan simply to get out of the airport environment and to an area where you can practice maneuvers, sightsee or whatever it is you wish to do without the restraint of specific headings or altitudes. Or if you want to have a little bit more flexibility with your route, controllers may be more inclined to allow you to take shortcuts since you have the ability to see and avoid traffic.
VFR-on-top should not be confused with VFR over-the-top, which refers to flying over a cloud layer in VFR operations and not on an IFR flight plan. You could, however, file a VFR-on-top flight plan and cancel IFR once you’re in VFR conditions, if you so wish, just as you could with any IFR flight plan. But once you cancel IFR the services you receive from ATC will be more limited. ATC also has no obligation to continue giving you flight following should the controller get too busy. If that is the case, the controller could drop you out of the system — something he or she can’t do if you’re still flying under IFR rules. So there is a benefit to maintaining that IFR flight plan and staying VFR-on-top.
