View Full Version : Vis Limits
Although I'm a helicopter pilot and a regular user of the rotorheads forum on PPRuNe, I have no idea of the answer to the following question:
My wife and daughter are presently stuck at Leeds Bradford airport (yes, I know they put it in the wrong place to start with) waiting for a delayed flight to Bristol but the fog is increasing. Currently down to 300m.
What is the minimum vis for take off and landing for domestic commercial flights? P1 decision or company policy?
If I know the answer in future, I can check the METAR and TAF and decide if they should take the train instead.
Any guidance would be much appreciated.
FlapsOne
13th Dec 2002, 17:28
It all depends on aircraft certification and serviceability, airport certification and serviceability and crew qualification (and serviceability!).
For a B737, something along the lines of 125m RVR for take off and 200m (Cat3) for landing. These limits will vary slightly depending on the type/fit of each aircraft.
The limits are laid down by regulation, or occaisionally higher limits by company, and are not at the discretion of the Commander.
Just to qualify that last comment, if the commander believes he has a good reason not to take off - he does not have to, but his company ops will want to know why.
Leaves on the line would probably stop the train anyway!
Hope you get them back soon.
Spitoon
13th Dec 2002, 17:33
Tends to be dependant on both runway lighting and Ops Manual but for the airport to be licensed to support take-offs in less than 400m it needs HI runway edge, threshold, centre-line and stop end and stopway lighting.
Not sure what Leeds have got but this level of lighting is pretty common these days.
Thanks guys - very useful.
This service from LBA to Bristol is badly needed in place of four hour train journeys, but last time my wife departed LBA on a Sunday she was the only person on the flight.
Great cabin service!
Hope the weekday revenues are good enough for the route to survive....
Leeds is Cat 3 on RW 34 for aircraft equipped. Cat 1 aircraft Iwould expect to be 550metres RVR mandatory without checking the minima.
For Take off expect somewhere around 125m RVR with LVP’s in use. If it was 300m RVR and the inbound aircraft/crew was only Cat1 you weren’t going anywhere.:(