Not normally issued in a VFR-on-top clearance?

• A. Altitude restrictions
• B. Visibility requirements
• C. Weather restrictions
• D. Speed restriction

Answer: (D)

In a VFR-on-top clearance the emphasis is on staying clear of clouds and maintaining visual separation while flying on top of the layer, often with an altitude instruction to keep you on top or above weather. The clearance can include altitude guidance and weather-related parameters (such as keeping within VFR visibility minimums or staying above weather), because these are what ensure you remain safely in visual conditions and avoid weather. A speed restriction, however, is not normally part of a VFR-on-top clearance. Your ability to operate on top relies on seeing and avoiding weather and maintaining the required visibility and cloud clearance, not on following a mandated airspeed. Controllers may impose speed restrictions in other kinds of clearances to manage sequencing, but they don’t typically include them as a standard element of VFR-on-top instructions.