Well Don,
Maybe you're the one who needs to
check with a CFII because the IFR to VFR on top clearance without a flight plan
is very definitely legal. As Ron Galbraith said, you are not cleared to a
destination, you're cleared to a point. I don't want to beat a dead horse
here, but you're mistaken because this is a common tool used in SoCal to deal
with marine layers on the coast.
I'm a 22,000 hour ATP and have been
occasionally getting this type of clearance for many, many moons now. If
it weren't legal, I don't think clearance would keep giving them to me.
Try it some time - you'll get it. I promise!
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