Definition
An ATC clearance authorizing a pilot operating on an IFR flight plan to maintain VFR cloud clearance and visibility requirements while flying above, below, or between cloud layers. The pilot remains on the IFR flight plan and continues to comply with all IFR rules except for altitude assignment, instead selecting an appropriate VFR cruising altitude.
Plain English
ATC lets you stay on your IFR flight plan but allows you to pick your own altitude, as long as you can stay clear of the clouds by the visual flight rules and see well enough to fly visually.
Context Anchor
Seen in IFR altitude-selection rules, especially when deciding what cruising altitude or flight level is legal while flying above a cloud layer.
Derivation
VFR stands for visual flight rules. “On-top” is plain aviation shorthand for being above a cloud layer. Together, the phrase points to visual-rule weather while positioned over clouds, not inside them.
Why Pilots Care
Allows use of VFR cruising altitudes while remaining under full IFR separation and clearance requirements.
Grounding Statement
Picture an airplane cruising in clear air with a solid cloud deck below it; that is the basic picture behind VFR conditions on-top.
Intuition Check
Do not read “VFR conditions on-top” as “the flight is automatically a VFR flight.” It means the weather around the aircraft meets visual flying requirements while the aircraft is above clouds; the flight may still be operating under IFR.
Example Sentence 1
After climbing through the broken layer, the pilot requested VFR conditions on-top and ATC approved the clearance for the remainder of the cruise.
Example Sentence 2
ATC assigned 7500 feet where the aircraft would be in VFR conditions on-top for the remainder of the route.