TAKE OFF MINIMA and RWY LIGHTS?
Hi there, just for sake of interest. We had a discussion the other day about the required RWY marking or lights for night operation. Following scenario was there: CAVOK, Night, NO RWY lights. The question is can you take off or not? Well as usual different people different opinion, referring to the same page.
Appendix 1 to JAR-OPS 1.430 there's a general part and then
Visual reference. The take-off minima must be selected to ensure sufficient guidance to control the aeroplane in the event of both a
discontinued take-off in adverse circumstances and a continued take-off after failure of the critical power unit and the minima selected shouldn't be lower than table 1 which basically says lowest RVR/VIS 500 Abbreviation of table 1.
Facilities NIL RVR/Visibility (Note 3) (Day only) 500 m-Runway edge lighting and/or centreline marking
250/300 m (Notes 1 & 2) Runway edge and centreline lighting
200/250 m (Note 1) Runway edge and centreline lighting and
multiple RVR information 150/200 m (Notes 1 & 4). Sorry I cant copy the table. The most important Note 2: For night operations at least runway edge and runway end lights are required. That's where the opinions are drifting apart. One says regardless of VIS/RVR by night, coming back to our example, the lights mentioned in Note 2 are required even if its CAVOK. The others on the other hand say, wait a sec, that's a requirement with VIS/RVR from 500 to 400 by night. Basically one looks from 400 to 500 and above nothing is required whereas the others look from CAVOK down to 400 where LVP starts, saying that nothing is required by day and two of the lights by night. 10-9 chart doesn't say anything about night, just 500 by day only req. NIL.
SO the question again is: NIGHT, CAVOK, NO RWY Lights, can you take off or not? If not, what lights are required?
Would like to hear your opinions guys, thanks.