Originally Posted by
Grenville Fortescue
If a single was running low on fuel and was inbound to Mascot and got stuck on top of the undercast would they be talked down by radar and would they be penalised for getting stuck on top?
Talk about a hypothetical question: substitute Heathrow for Mascot and
you try to answer!
All VFR (not just VFR on top) is required to have 'in sight of land or water' when below 2000ft agl, it's part of ENR1.2 in our AIP. You could be above a layer of haze, bushfire smoke, local solid cover, etc and comply with all other VFR requirements. An IFR aircraft can climb up through the gloop and then request (and be given) VFR-on-top, as per ENR1.1 p18.