RVR & Converted Met Vis - Planning stage EU-OPS

[EightsOnPylons]

Question (EU-OPS):
I’m planning a flight to a large international airport at night. Minimums for landing is RVR 550. In the TAF for the ETA (1hr before and 1 hr after) the weather says Met Vis 400. In this case I only need one alternate because I use the conversion factor RVR=VIS *2 (night and HI intensity approach lights)

[JeroenC]

No since conversion is only allowed with a required RVR > 800 m

[jetsun]

"conversion is only allowed with a required RVR > 800 m"

It doesn't state this in our ops manual!
Nor that of another company, which I have just read.
I recently raised this whole issue with our safety manager.
It seems this whole conversion thing is a bit of an undefined grey area as far as a lot of pilots are concerned.

Pun not intended.

[Tom!]

It says so in mine.
"flight crew must ensure that a meteorological visibility to
RVR/CMV conversion is not used for take-off, for calculating any other
required RVR minimum less than 800 m, or when reported RVR is
available."

[EightsOnPylons]

Ok, thanks. I'll change the question a bit:

Question (EU-OPS):
I’m planning a flight to a large international airport at night. Minimums for landing is RVR 1200m. In the TAF for the ETA (1hr before and 1 hr after) the weather says Met Vis 800.

Is it true that in this case I only need one alternate because I use the conversion factor RVR=VIS *2 (night and HI intensity approach lights)?

Thanks

[EightsOnPylons]

1. Can the Converted Met Visibility be used at the planning stage?

2. If Destination RVR 1200m is required for approach, do I then need a at least forecasted Met Visibility of 1200m to be legal with only one alternate?

[Helen49]

Definitely a grey area!

Although the CAA define restricted areas, prohibited areas and lots of other 'areas', they fail to define grey areas!

Sorry that's of little help with the original question.

[JeroenC]

It says so in JAR OPS so either you don't operate under it or your regulator is sleeping. IAA maybe?

[JeroenC]

The thing is, you can only convert when RVR is not given. So now in planning stage RVR is not given, but in flight at dest it might and might be insufficient. Do you really want to eat up your margins even before departure, especially with usually-non-transient phenomona as low vis?

Sorry, i don't know the official answer though.

[EightsOnPylons]

It is strange that no one knows this. I am unable to find an answer in EU-OPS. It should be quite straight-forward I would hope.

The question still remains:

1. In the planning stage, if destination RVR 1200m is required for approach, do I then need a at least forecasted Met Visibility of 1200m to be legal with only one alternate?

Thx