M1, S3, C3 - Runway Visual Range

Question 1

The RVR system has been evolved to make available a more localised assessment of visual range in relation to a particular runway when the meteorological report gives a visibility of…

Answer 1

…less than 1500 metres.

Question 2

The RVR indicates the range over which…

Answer 2

…the pilot of an aircraft on the centreline of a runway can expect to see the runway surface markings, the lights delineating the runway or identifying its centreline

Question 3

The two methods of RVR assessment available at suitably equipped aerodromes are:

Answer 3

(1) Instrumented RVR, using electronic equipment;

(2) Human Observer Method.

Question 4

The UK standard for reporting RVR extends from zero to 1500 metres in the following steps:

Answer 4

(1) 0 to 400 metres in 25 metre steps
(2) 400 to 800 metres in 50 metre steps
(3) 800 to 1500 metres in 100 metre steps.

Question 5

Not all RVR systems are able to report all increments from zero to 1500 metres. Where the maximum reportable RVR value for a system and runway combination is less than 1500 metres…

Answer 5

…this information shall be included in the UK AIP.

Question 6

Note that any observed value, which does not fit the reporting scale, shall be rounded…

Answer 6

…down to the nearest step lower in the scale.

It is recommended that 50 metres be regarded as the lower limit and 1500 metres be regarded as the upper limit for assessments of RVR. Outside of these limits, reports should indicate that RVR is less than 50 metres or more than 1500 metres.

Question 7

IRVR gives an…

Answer 7

…automatic and continuous display of RVR values to ATC

Question 8

Transmissometers are used to measure…

Answer 8

…atmospheric opacity from fixed points alongside a runway, the number of units in any system being determined by the category of the ILS or MLS installation and runway length.

In a three transmissometer system the units are linked by an associated data transfer system to a central processor. The processor computes the RVR for each transmissometer position and displays it in digital form to ATC.

The three transmissometers are located one at each end of the runway adjacent to the touchdown zone and the third near the runway mid- point area. For RTF transmission purposes the locations will be known as “Touchdown”, “Mid-Point” and “Stop End” and RVR values will relate to these positions.

Question 9

The system automatically allows for runway edge light intensity settings but the DEO is to be informed if a controller has reason to believe that…

Answer 9

…the runway lighting is not operating at the selected level. Additionally the DEO is to be informed if a pilot reports actual conditions which are significantly different from those being indicated by IRVR methods.

Question 10

IRVR systems are operational at…

Answer 10

…all times unless notified to the contrary by the DEO.

Question 11

IRVR reporting to aircraft is started:

Answer 11

(1) whenever the aerodrome meteorological report shows the visibility to be less than 1500 metres;
(2) whenever the IRVR display is indicating an RVR value equal to or less than the maximum for that system;
(3) whenever shallow fog is reported and during a period for which it is forecast.

Question 12

A number of different IRVR systems are installed at UK aerodromes. The processors in some systems are programmed to…

Answer 12

…automatically reduce in intensity, or suppress, the display of the mid-point and/or stop-end readings when the values are not operationally significant.

Question 13

Unless a suppressed value is specifically requested by a pilot, the RVR reports transmitted are to contain only…

Answer 13

…those values that are displayed at full intensity.

The value of the touchdown position is always displayed at full intensity and if no other values are at full intensity this is the only value which needs to be passed.

Question 14

IRVR values are to be passed to aircraft…

Answer 14

…at the beginning of each approach for landing and, thereafter, whenever there is a significant change in the RVR until the aircraft have landed.

A significant change is defined as a change in value of one increment or more.

The current RVR value is also to be passed to aircraft before take-off.

Question 15

Even though a pilot may have received an IRVR value from the ATIS broadcast, controllers must ensure that…

Answer 15

…they pass the current value as specified above.

Question 16

When all three positions are to be reported to the pilot, they are to be passed as…

Answer 16

…three numbers relating to touchdown, mid-point and stop end respectively, e.g.

▪ “RVR runway (designator) 650 — 500 — 550 metres”.

Question 17

If only two values are to be passed, they are to be…

Answer 17

…individually identified, e.g.

▪ “RVR runway (designator) Touchdown 650 — Stop End 550 metres”.

Question 18

A high degree of priority should be given to IRVR broadcasts to ensure that…

Answer 18

…current RVR information is provided to pilots with the minimum delay.

Question 19

If the touchdown transmissometer fails, the IRVR system…

Answer 19

…may still be serviceable provided that confirmation is received from the DEO to this effect.

In such circumstances the mid-point value is to be used to determine the ATC procedure and is to be passed to the pilot together with the stop end value, if this is available.

It is imperative that the pilot should be informed that the touchdown transmissometer has failed, e.g.

▪ “RVR runway (designator) Touchdown not available — Mid-Point 600 — Stop End 400 metres”.

Question 20

If two transmissometers become unserviceable…

Answer 20

…the RVR value for the remaining instrument provided that it is not the stop end value, may be used.

If the RVR value for the stop end is the only one available, the system is to be regarded as unserviceable for that runway.

By changing the direction of use of the runway it may become serviceable again with the single available value representing the touchdown reading.

Question 21

When the IRVR system is unserviceable, controllers should revert to…

Answer 21

…Human Observer RVR where provided, or to the reported meteorological visibility to determine ATC procedures.

In the latter case, pilots should be passed the reported meteorological visibility and advised that the IRVR system has failed

Question 22

Detailed procedures for determining RVR by human observer methods are contained in…

Answer 22

…CAP 168. MATS Part 2 shall also contain detailed procedures for the method of RVR calculation at the particular aerodrome.

Question 23

Under no circumstances shall RVR be assessed from…

Answer 23

…a position on the runway

Question 24

The number of runway edge lights visible is to be applied to a…

Answer 24

…conversion table to obtain the RVR value. Detailed procedures of the method of calculation shall be included in MATS Part 2.

Question 25

The assessment of RVR by human observer and the reporting to aircraft are to commence…

Answer 25

…whenever the official meteorological visibility is reported as less than 1500 metres and are to continue until both the official meteorological visibility is 1500 metres or more and the RVR is in excess of the maximum reportable value

Question 26

In the event that an RVR measurement cannot be made, the pilot should be passed…

Answer 26

…the meteorological visibility and advised that RVR is not available.

Question 27

At aerodromes where traffic is continuous, assessments are to be made at…

Answer 27

…half-hourly intervals or whenever significant changes of RVR occur.

Question 28

At aerodromes where traffic is intermittent or light an assessment is to be made…

Answer 28

…before an aircraft departs and 15 minutes before the ETA of an arriving aircraft.

Thereafter reports of significant changes are to be made until the aircraft has landed. A significant change is defined as a change in value of one increment or more.

Question 29

RVR reports are not to be used or passed after…

Answer 29

…the observer has been stood down, except when that report is quoted as part of a full meteorological report including a time or origin.

Question 30

RVR values and subsequent significant changes are to be passed:

Answer 30

(1) to inbound aircraft, before the commencement of approach until the aircraft has landed;
(2) to departing aircraft, until the commencement of take-off.

A high degree of priority should be given to such broadcasts to ensure that current RVR information is provided to pilots with the minimum of delay.

Question 31

Only RVR incremental values up to…

Answer 31

…the maximum reportable value are to be passed to aircraft. The maximum reportable value for a particular runway shall be indicated in MATS Part 2.

Question 32

If the assessed value is more than the maximum reportable value, controllers are to state…

Answer 32

…“RVR is greater than (number) metres”.

Question 33

If no lights are visible, controllers are to state…

Answer 33

…“RVR less than (number) metres”, inserting the value corresponding to one light.

Question 34

Occasionally pilots of aircraft may report, or observations from the aerodrome control tower may indicate, that the visibility conditions on the runway are significantly different to those being reported.

Under no circumstances is a controller to pass a pilot…

Answer 34

…information which suggests that the visibility is better than the RVR reported, whether assessed by IRVR or a human observer.

However, when a pilot’s report or an observation from the aerodrome control tower indicates a worse condition on the runway, this information is to be passed with subsequent RVR reports for as long as the condition is considered to exist according to the phraseology in CAP 413.

Question 35

All RVR observations, including those for transmission in meteorological reports, are to be made with…

Answer 35

…the runway edge lights set at the intensity appropriate to the prevailing conditions.

Question 36

However with some IRVR equipment, because of the design of the system, transmissometer readings may only be displayed when the runway lights are…

Answer 36

…set at an intensity of 10% or more.

Settings less than 10% may result in all three readings being replaced by zeros.

Question 37

If, during RVR conditions, a pilot requests a reduced runway edge light setting of less than 10%, he is to be advised that…

Answer 37

…an RVR reading may not be available at this setting.

Question 38

RVR human observer assessments are not to be made with the lights set at…

Answer 38

…an intensity for which there is no conversion table.

Question 39

If a pilot should request that the lights be reduced in intensity and this results in a setting for which there is no conversion table, the pilot is to be advised that…

Answer 39

…RVR is not available at this requested setting.

Question 40

At times during which RVR is being assessed, RVR and meteorological visibility values that are observed or measured shall be…

Answer 40

…recorded such that the RVR and visibility reported at any particular time can be determined. Records shall be made available to the CAA on request.

Question 41

For records of Human Observer RVR the following minimum information shall be recorded:

Answer 41

(1) Aerodrome;
(2) Date;
(3) Runway;
(4) Start and finish time for the period of observations;
(5) The time each observation is logged, expressed in UTC to the nearest minute;
(6) The actual count expressed as the number of lights observed, e.g. ‘Four lights’, and the corresponding RVR value.

Question 42

A controller is not responsible for ensuring that pilots observe their…

Answer 42

…Aerodrome Operating Minima and is not to query the right of a pilot to attempt a landing or take-off.