Prevailing Visibility

The prevailing visibility roughly represents the average visibility.

It is the greatest distance that can be seen throughout at least half the horizon circle.

The areas could comprise contiguous or non-contiguous sectors.

The lowest visibility observed will also be reported if the visibility in any direction is either:

a) Less than 1500 metres

or

b) Less than 50% of the prevailing visibility.

If the lowest visibility is observed in more than one direction then the most operationally
significant direction will be reported.

When visibility is fluctuating rapidly and the prevailing visibility cannot be determined then only
the lowest visibility will be reported without direction.

e.g. If visibility near the airport is 900 meters in the North East quadrant, 5 km in South East, 3
km in the South West and 4 km in the North West quadrant then what would the prevailing
visibility be reported as?

The maximum is 5 and the second highest is 4, so prevailing visibility reported will be the more
restrictive of the two i.e. 4 km.

The visibility (900m) in one particular direction i.e. NE is less than 1500 and less than half the
prevailing visibility so it will be reported together with its direction.

So for the above example, the reported visibility format will be 4000 0900NE.

RVR - Runway Visual Range

The maximum distance in the direction of take-off or landing at which the runway, or specified
lights delineating the runway, can be seen from a position on the centreline corresponding to the
average eye level of a pilot at touchdown.

- RVR is not normally reported if it is 1500m or more.

- Between 1500 and 800m it is reported in steps of 100m.

- Between 800 and 200m it is reported in steps of 50m.

- Between 0 and 200m it is reported in steps of 25m.

- e.g. R36L/P1500: Runway 36 Left touch-down RVR is more than 1500m.

- If RVR is more than the maximum that the equipment is calibrated, then that maximum is given
preceded by P (plus).

- If it is less than the minimum, the minimum is given preceded by M (minus).

- If the RVR has been steady the group can be followed by N (No change).

- If it has been changing rapidly then the group is followed by "U" for up or "D" for down.

- If it has been very variable over the 10 minute observation period, the maximum and minimum
is given separated by a "V".

- RVR is not normally recorded or reported if it is more than 1500m.

- METAR reports only touchdown RVR.

- ATIS and ATC voice warnings reports mid-point and stop-end RVR.

Exam Question Tips:

In general, the meteorological visibility during rainfall is "Greater" as compared to during drizzle.

Flight visibility from the cockpit during approach in a tropical downpour can decrease to minimal
tens of metres

In unstable air, surface visibility is most likely to be restricted by showers of rain or snow

Reduction in visibility due to precipitation depends on precipitation intensity and type

In the weather pattern behind a cold front, the visibility outside precipitation is good and the
precipitation is showers

Conditions necessary for vertical visibility to be reported is when sky is obscured by fog or heavy
precipitation and the height of the cloud base cannot be measured.

The meteorological visibility is generally less than the RVR in homogeneous fog.

The visibility transmitted in a METAR is the lowest observed in a 360 deg scan from the
meteorological station.

Units kt / 100 feet are used to report vertical wind shear.

Solstice

A solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice each year when the Sun's apparent position
in the sky, as viewed from Earth, reaches its northernmost or southernmost extremes. The name
is derived from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), because at the solstices, the Sun
stands still in declination; that is, the apparent movement of the Sun's path north or south comes
to a stop before reversing direction.
The term solstice can also be used in a broader sense, as the date (day) when this occurs. The
solstices, together with the equinoxes, are connected with the seasons. In some cultures they are
considered to start or separate the seasons, while in others they fall nearer the middle.

Equinox

An equinox occurs twice a year, when the tilt of the Earth's axis is inclined neither away from nor
towards the Sun, the center of the Sun being in the same plane as the Earth's equator. The term
equinox can also be used in a broader sense, meaning the date when such a passage happens.
The name "equinox" is derived from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night), because around the
equinox, the night and day have approximately equal length.

At an equinox, the Sun is at one of two opposite points on the celestial sphere where the celestial
equator (i.e. declination 0) and ecliptic intersect. These points of intersection are called equinoctial
points: classically, the vernal point and the autumnal point. By extension, the term equinox may
denote an equinoctial point.

An equinox happens each year at two specific moments in time (rather than two whole days),
when there is a location (the subsolar point) on the Earth's equator, where the center of the Sun
can be observed to be vertically overhead, occurring around March 20/21 and September 22/23
each year.

Although the word equinox is often understood to mean "equal [day and] night," this is not strictly
true. For most locations on earth, there are two distinct identifiable days per year when the length
of day and night are closest to being equal; those days are referred to as the "equiluxes" to
distinguish them from the equinoxes. Equinoxes are points in time, but equiluxes are days. By
convention, equiluxes are the days where sunrise and sunset are closest to being exactly 12 hours
apart.

The seasons of the Earth are caused by the fact that the rotational axis of the Earth is not
perpendicular to its orbital plane. The axis of the Earth is tilted at an angle of about 23.44 degrees
from its orbital plane. This tilt is called the axial tilt. As a consequence, for approximately half of
the year (i.e. from around March 20 to around September 22), the northern hemisphere tips
toward the Sun, with the maximum amount occurring on about June 21, while for the other half of
the year, the southern hemisphere has this phenomenon, with the maximum around December
21. The two instants when the Sun is directly overhead at the Equator are the equinoxes. Also at
that moment, both the North Pole and the South Pole of the Earth are just on the terminator, and
hence day and night are equally divided between the northern and southern hemispheres. At the
equinoxes, the rate of change for the length of daylight and night-time is the greatest.