At least in the US those so called human 'observers' never report visibility in RVR. And all automated stations (like AWSS/ASOS, etc.) mounted at smaller US airports (say class G) never report visibility as RVR. So knowing how practical FAA is they would never use RVR in such case, how Europe handles it might be different.

Indeed it is. Witness:

ESST 061950Z AUTO VRB02KT 0550 R16/1300V1800D R34/1300V1600D FG OVC002/// 00/M00 Q0996 REUP REFZUP=

Olasek,

UK IMC rating holders are limited to 1800m met visibility on takeoff and landing anyway, I appreciate this isn't obvious if you live in a country where they let you have an IR for less than the price of a detached house...

Oh really, are you sure?:confused::confused:
But BA pilots are excluded, right? :):8
1800 m is a nautical mile, so you are telling me that a IR holder in UK can't land at airport with visibility 1/2 mile (CAT I) assuming runway has CAT I? The fact that he/she can't takeoff with visibility 1/2 nm is no less shocking.:}

The UK IMC Rating is not an IR. I suggest you Google it...

Olasek & Porterhouse, you are confusing a full ICAO compliant IR (which is a requirement if you want to hold an ATPL, like BA pilots do) with the UK-specific IMC rating. The UK IMC rating gives *limited* privileges to fly in IMC conditions, but does not provide you with the full spectrum of IR privileges. For instance, certain minima are higher (like RVR), and you cannot fly in class A airways with an IMC.

If all you know about is the ICAO compliant IR, then it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to comment in a thread that is about the UK specific IMC rating.

which is good ... or bad? ;)

Yes it's another one of those only-in-Britain threads...:=

To add confusion for all you foreign johnnys it's now not an IMC rating but an IR(R) rating...:). Although it's exactly the same as the IMC rating. As BP says the main differences between the IR(R) and the full fat IR is that the IR(R) foesn't allow flight in class A and the recommended minima are 600' for a non precision approach and 500' for a precision.

Is it any use? Oh yes. If you've never flown in the UK's maritime temperate climate then it's the best thing since sliced bread. Plus mine cost me about £2300 all in cf a full IR which is about 4 trillion quid.