VISIBILITY(V V)

Meteorological visibility or Horizontal

visibility:
It is the greatest horizontal distance at
which selected landmarks or objects are
seen and recognized in day light or in lights
of specified candle power at night
V V is always reported in meters
When V V varies in different directions, the
lowest
V V is reported.

VISIBILITY (VV)
V V measures the transparency of the atmosphere
Met Observer reports the minimum V V after
scanning V V in all directions by seeing and
recogonising preselected land marks at known
distances.
Met V V is the lowest visibility within a whole of
360 deg of vision.
Golds visibility meter is used for measuring V V in
the night. A filter in the viewing mechanism is
adjusted so that light is no longer seen. The
reading of the meter is used as the equivalent of
day time V V

RUNWAY VISUAL RANGE (RVR)

During day time , it is the maximum distance at
which the runway can be seen from a position
on centre line at a height corresponding to the
eye level of the pilot at touch down
It is the visual range in a single direction along
the runway
RVR is measured at a height of 5 m above the
ground
RVR is reported by an observer positioned
about 76 m from the centre line on the runway
at the touch down point

RUNWAY VISUAL RANGE (RVR)

During day time , it is the maximum distance at
which the runway can be seen from a position on
centre line at a height corresponding to the eye
level of the pilot at touch down
It is the visual range in a single direction along the
runway
RVR is also reported by transmissometer
positioned at points near the runway such as touch
down point,mid point of runway and stop end of
the runway.
During night , it is the maximum distance at which
specified lights along the runway can be seen from
the position on the centre line at the height of
average eye level of the pilot at touch down

RVR ( contd)
Transmissometer emits horizontal light beam .
After the light beam travels a certain distance
usually 200 meters, a photocell receiver is
used to detect the light.
The decrease in brightness of horizontal beam
of light is a measure of transparency in the
atmosphere
RVR is a very important for take off and
landing

Variable(s) to be
measured:
Instrument Catalogue

Instrument Information Sheet

Visibility

Transmissivity of the

atmosphere

Name of sensor or
instrument:

SKOPOGRAPH II Flamingo

Type:

Transmissometer

Manufacturer's or
Supplier's name:

JENOPTIK IMPULSPHYSIK GmbH

Catalogue sheet No:

Updated:

12 September 2000

REPORTING OF RVR
RVR observations are to be made and reported
whenever VV or RVR is less than 1500m
RVR between 1500 and 2000m is also to be
included in METAR/SPECI/SPECIAL reports as
supplementary information but not disseminated
internationally.
RVR 400 350 350 refers to RVR at touchdown,
midpoint and stop end respectively.
RVR >2000 m but VV <1500 m is reported as
RVR ABV 2000m as supplementary information
RVR is also reported to ATC whenever RVR value
changes through the following reportable limits
(i) 60m up to 800m and ( ii) 100m above 800m
RVR

VERTICAL AND SLANT VISIBILITY

Vertical and slant V V is air to ground V V and
not horizontal V V, reported in Met reports
Horizontal V V measurements do not give
information about V V from points above the
ground
Often what the pilot sees from air can be
quite different from what is the V V when he
comes on approach to land

VERTICAL AND SLANT VISIBILITY

Slant VV through shallow fog

VERTICAL AND SLANT V V ( contd)

From the air, the pilots vision penetrates
through a thin layer of mist or fog
At the approach to land, his vision has to
pass through the entire fog or mist bound
runway
Vertical V V or slant V V is always higher
and the pilot should take care NOT to be
misguided by it.

CAUSES OF POOR VISIBILITY

The main causes of poor V V are:
1. Fog and mist
2. Dust haze
3. Dust rising winds, dust storms, sand storms
4. Volcanic ash
5. Low extensive clouds
6. Heavy Rain. In heavy rain, distance perception
can be affected. Rain settling on the wind screen
also affects the perception or vision of the pilot.

DUST HAZE
In the air over arid or semi-arid desert areas, strong
winds are caused due to steep pressure gradient
Lot of dust is carried upwards, even to 3 to 5 km
aloft and V V may be reduced to less than 2000
meters
Dust haze occurs in conditions of dust storms and
dust rising winds
In dust storms,V V is reduced to 1000 meters and
minimum wind speed is 25 kts or more
In dust rising winds, winds are strong but < 25 kts
and V V is poor but >1000 meters
These are common in North West India in summer

SMOKE, DUST & MOIST HAZE

Smoke or dust haze is due to surface air
polluted by smoke or dust carried upwards by
turbulence
Moist haze occurs when a haze layer is found in
position where a cloud was previously present
and was evaporated by descent or adiabatic
warming
Anticyclones usually have haze layers in the
higher levels due to subsidence

VOLCANIC ASH
It is the solid matter thrown out from active
volcanoes and carried in the air as haze for long
distances.
Volcanic regions of the world are Japan,
Philippines, Indonesia, S.America, West Indies,
USA, Mexico, Russia, Australia, and Tanzania
In addition to reduction in visibility, entering of this
ash into the aircraft engine can damage the jet
engines.
It is best to avoid such regions