Because landing and some takeoff minimums are based on visibility, an operating RVR system is a vital operational element to support the high arrival and departure rates demanded at busy airports. A typical RVR system is created around a visibility sensor, an ambient light sensor, a runway light intensity monitor, a data processing unit and a control display unit. The RVR readout display is normally found in both the control tower and the IFR radar room of an airport, where air traffic controllers can regularly update pilots inbound on an approach.
The latest RVR visibility sensors VS use a forward scatterometer methodology that includes a projector and a photo receiver attached to a pole, placing the electronics approximately 10 feet higher than the runway surface. For one, the pilots will have an idea of the actual conditions on the runway before the approach.
RVR also allows for lower landing minimums in some situations. Cat 2 and Cat 3 ILS approaches require runway visual range. RVR may be reported in either feet or meters, depending on the location in the world. In the United States, it will be in feet. METARs are routine weather reports published for airports all over the world.
Pilots refer to these coded weather observations when planning flights and even when in the air approaching their destination. Translation: North Bay Airport, 15th of the month at Zulu time. Automatic report. Subscribe to get the latest videos, articles, and quizzes that make you a smarter, safer pilot. Colin is a Boldmethod co-founder, pilot and graphic artist.
He's been a flight instructor at the University of North Dakota, an airline pilot on the CRJ, and has directed development of numerous commercial and military training systems. You can reach him at colin boldmethod. To: Separate email addresses with commas.
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If the word AUTO is absent it means that the readings obtained by the visibility sensing equipment is being augmented by a certified weather observer.
A certified weather observer is a person who is physically present at the airport and has been trained in meteorology and passed a certifying exam. As someone who has worked as a certified weather observer, I can personally say that the exam was not easy!
I would then compare what the computer was indicating for visibility compared to what I was seeing with my own eyes. I had the advantage of being able to look at multiple areas of the airport and had predetermined landmarks aiding me in identifying how far I could see.
I would determine the greatest horizontal visibility equaled or exceeded throughout at least half the horizon circle not necessarily continuously and that would be the prevailing visibility.
If the transmissometer which senses visibility was wrong I would override it and publish the actual prevailing visibility. Although augmented weather observations are better than automated ones they are still not good enough for operations in extremely poor weather conditions. RVR is the best way a pilot can know exactly what the visibility is going to be directly over the runway. It is used primarily for operations in very low visibility so you will often see RVR equipment at large airports with lots of airline or jet traffic.
The transmissometer projector and receiver are mounted on towers feet apart. A known intensity of light is emitted from the projector and measured by the receiver. In the case of RVR the light signal may be obscured by matter such as rain, snow, dust, fog, haze or smoke. The intensity of the light is measured by the receiver and converted to an RVR value by the signal data converter.
An RVR transmissometer established on a foot baseline provides digital readouts to a minimum of feet. These setups are currently being phased out. According to FAA Order
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