Runway Visual Range (RVR)

When visibility becomes poor, saying: "The airport has half a mile visibility" may not tell a pilot what conditions look like along the runway being used.

That is where Runway Visual Range, or RVR, becomes important.

Runway Visual Range is an instrumentally derived runway-specific visibility value designed to represent how far a pilot should be able to see horizontally along the runway environment.

It is especially important during:

• Low-visibility takeoffs
• Instrument approaches
• Landings
• Rollout
• CAT II and CAT III operations
• Airport low visibility procedures

But RVR is often misunderstood.

It is not simply: "how far the pilot can literally see."

And it is not interchangeable with:

• Prevailing visibility
• Flight visibility
• Ceiling
• An approach minimum

Those distinctions are the key to understanding RVR correctly.

What Is Runway Visual Range?#

FAA guidance describes RVR as an instrumentally derived value representing the horizontal distance a pilot should be able to see down a runway from the approach end.

Depending on the system, the calculation considers things such as:

• Atmospheric obscuration
• Runway-light intensity
• Ambient light or day/night conditions

The result is intended to represent the useful visual range of:

• Runway lights
• Runway markings or other visual targets

during low-visibility operations.

So RVR is better thought of as:

an engineered estimate of runway visual range

rather than a literal measurement of one pilot's eyesight.

RVR Is Horizontal, Not Slant Visibility#

RVR describes visual range along the runway.

It is not the same as the slant-range view a pilot has while descending toward the runway from several hundred feet above it.

That matters because a pilot's actual sight picture can be influenced by:

• Viewing angle
• Fog depth
• Precipitation
• Cockpit height
• Lighting
• Localized visibility variations

RVR remains an objective standardized runway value.

Actual flight visibility is what the pilot sees from the aircraft.

Why RVR Exists#

General airport visibility can hide important runway-level differences.

Imagine an airport reporting:

3SM BR

The prevailing visibility is three statute miles with mist.

But a shallow fog bank sits over one runway.

That runway could have a much lower RVR.

Another runway at the same airport could have better conditions.

RVR therefore helps answer a more specific question:

What is the visual environment along this runway?

RVR Versus Prevailing Visibility#

These are different quantities.

Prevailing visibility#

Prevailing visibility describes general horizontal visibility at the weather station.

In the United States it may be determined by:

• Automated visibility sensors
• Human observation or augmentation

depending on the station.

It is reported in statute miles in a U.S. METAR.

RVR#

RVR is:

• Runway-specific
• Instrumentally derived
• Strongly associated with the runway visual environment
• Reported in feet in U.S. aviation weather reports

The two can differ substantially.

RVR Versus Flight Visibility#

This distinction becomes important when regulations enter the discussion.

Flight visibility is the visibility observed from the cockpit in flight.

RVR is a ground-based reported value.

Under normal U.S. Part 91 instrument-approach rules, 14 CFR 91.175 refers to the pilot having sufficient flight visibility to continue below the applicable DA/DH or MDA, together with the required visual references and aircraft-position requirements.

That is not the same statement as: "Reported RVR alone determines whether the pilot can legally land."

RVR is extremely important.

But the exact regulatory role depends on:

• The published approach
• The operation
• Whether RVR is available
• Aircraft/operator authorization
• Applicable regulations

RVR Versus Ceiling#

RVR is a visibility quantity.

Ceiling is a cloud-height quantity.

An airport can have:

• Very low RVR with no meaningful low cloud ceiling, such as shallow fog
• A low ceiling with relatively good surface visibility
• Both low ceiling and low RVR

Do not use one as a substitute for the other.

How RVR Is Determined#

Two principal RVR technologies have been used in the U.S. National Airspace System:

• Transmissometers
• New Generation RVR using forward-scatter technology

They work differently.

Transmissometers#

A transmissometer uses a light source and receiver separated by a known distance.

A known light intensity is transmitted through the atmosphere.

Obscuring material such as:

• Fog
• Rain
• Snow
• Haze
• Dust
• Smoke

reduces the amount of light reaching the receiver.

That measured attenuation can then be converted into an RVR value.

Forward-Scatter RVR#

New Generation RVR uses a different principle.

A forward-scatter sensor emits infrared light and measures how much light is scattered by particles in the atmosphere.

More obscuration produces a different scatter signal.

But that atmospheric measurement alone is not the final RVR.

The system can also receive information from:

• A runway-light intensity monitor
• An ambient-light sensor

A data processor combines those inputs to calculate the reported RVR.

Why Runway Lighting Affects RVR#

At night or in dense fog, what a pilot can detect may be dominated by runway lights.

RVR systems therefore account for the intensity of the relevant runway lighting.

FAA guidance for New Generation RVR includes runway-light intensity as an input.

This means RVR is not simply:

atmospheric visibility measured beside the runway.

It is designed to model the operational visual environment.

Ambient Light Matters Too#

A runway light has very different visual contrast:

• On a bright day
• At dusk
• At night

RVR systems account for ambient illumination so the same atmospheric obscuration does not necessarily produce exactly the same operational visual range under every lighting condition.

Runway Lighting and Approach Lighting Are Different Issues#

Runway lighting can affect the RVR calculation.

Approach-lighting systems affect what visual references are available during an instrument approach and can affect published approach minima.

These are related but different roles.

Do not assume: "Every light system listed on the approach chart is an input to the RVR sensor."

Where RVR Is Measured#

A runway can have RVR equipment serving different portions of the runway.

The familiar locations are:

• Touchdown
• Midpoint
• Rollout

Not every runway has all three.

The installed configuration depends on the runway and the operations it supports.

Touchdown RVR#

The touchdown reading corresponds to the approach end / touchdown portion of the runway.

For arrivals, this is usually the first RVR value pilots hear.

ATC refers to it simply as the runway's RVR when no additional segment name is needed.

Example: Runway Two Seven Right RVR one thousand six hundred.

Midpoint RVR#

Midpoint RVR describes conditions farther along the runway.

This becomes increasingly important in very low visibility because an airplane must continue:

• Landing
• Decelerating
• Maintaining centerline

after passing the touchdown zone.

Rollout RVR#

Rollout RVR describes the far portion of the runway.

It helps characterize visibility during the final part of the landing rollout.

For the lowest-visibility operations, seeing only the touchdown environment is not enough.

The aircraft must also safely remain on the runway during deceleration.

Not Every Operation Requires Three RVR Sensors#

Do not memorize: "Every RVR runway has touchdown, midpoint, and rollout sensors."

Some runway installations have fewer.

More demanding low-visibility authorizations can require additional RVR equipment.

The exact sensor requirements depend on the operation and facility approval.

How ATC Reports Multiple RVR Values#

When multiple RVR systems serve the runway, ATC can identify them as:

• Touchdown
• Mid
• Rollout

For example: Runway Two Seven Right RVR one thousand, mid eight hundred, rollout six hundred.

That immediately tells the crew that visibility gets worse farther down the runway.

When U.S. ATC Reports RVR#

Current FAA ATC guidance calls for touchdown RVR to be issued for runways in use when:

• Prevailing visibility is 1 mile or less, or
• RVR reaches a reportable value

A reportable RVR is generally:

6,000 feet or less

for this purpose.

Midpoint and rollout readings may also be issued under specified low-visibility relationships.

RVR Updates Much Faster Than a METAR#

FAA RVR equipment can update controller displays approximately:

once per minute

That does not mean a new METAR is issued every minute.

This is an important distinction.

Controllers can have very recent RVR information while the coded aviation weather observation summarizes RVR over a longer reporting window.

RVR in a METAR#

In U.S. METAR syntax, an RVR group begins with:

R

followed by:

1. Runway designator
2. /
3. RVR value
4. FT

Example:

R27/2400FT

means:

Runway 27 RVR 2,400 feet

Parallel Runways#

Example:

R28L/1800FT

means:

Runway 28 Left RVR 1,800 feet

Possible runway suffixes include:

• L
• C
• R

for left, center, and right.

Variable RVR#

When RVR varies sufficiently, the low and high values are separated by:

V

Example:

R24L/1200V2400FT

means:

Runway 24 Left RVR varying from 1,200 to 2,400 feet

The separator is:

V

not a special VP variability code.

Why You Might See VP#

A string such as:

R24L/2000VP6000FT

must be parsed carefully.

It contains:

• V — variable
• P6000 — greater than 6,000 feet

So it means approximately:

RVR varying from 2,000 feet to greater than 6,000 feet

VP is not one combined abbreviation meaning "variable."

Below the Sensor Minimum#

Example:

R27R/M1000FT

means:

Runway 27 Right RVR less than 1,000 feet

M means:

less than the minimum value reportable by that system

Above the Sensor Maximum#

Example:

R09/P6000FT

means:

Runway 9 RVR greater than 6,000 feet

P means:

more than

Variable With a Minimum Prefix#

Example:

R27R/M1000V4000FT

means:

Runway 27 Right RVR varying from less than 1,000 feet to 4,000 feet

This is why METAR RVR should be decoded element by element rather than reading letter combinations as words.

See How to Read a METAR.

METAR RVR Uses a Ten-Minute Window#

When U.S. RVR reporting criteria are met, the aviation weather report contains the applicable ten-minute maximum and minimum RVR information for the designated runway.

That is different from the approximately one-minute controller display update.

So there are two useful time concepts:

• RVR system/controller display: very frequent updates
• METAR RVR group: coded weather-report representation

Do not confuse them.

RVR Can Trigger a SPECI#

In current U.S. aviation weather rules, RVR can itself trigger a SPECI.

A special report is required when the highest RVR value for the designated runway crosses specified thresholds around:

2,400 feet

during the preceding ten minutes.

This is another reason rapidly changing low-visibility weather may generate updates between routine METARs.

RVR Is Not Reported at Every Airport#

An airport needs appropriate RVR equipment.

Many airports do not have it.

Even an airport with RVR equipment may not have RVR capability on every runway.

So the absence of an RVR group does not automatically mean:

excellent runway visibility.

It may mean:

• Reporting criteria were not met
• The runway is not RVR-equipped
• The value is unavailable

Use all available airport and weather information.

RVR Versus Runway Visibility Value#

Older aviation material may also refer to Runway Visibility Value, or RVV.

RVV and RVR are not identical systems.

Modern low-visibility operations overwhelmingly center on RVR.

If older training material uses RVV, do not automatically treat every RVV statement as current RVR procedure.

RVR in Feet Versus Meters#

In U.S. METARs, RVR is reported in:

feet

Many other countries use:

meters

That is why:

R27/2400FT

is unmistakably a feet-based group.

International documents and approach minima may instead show values such as:

• 550 m
• 300 m
• 200 m

Always use the units actually published for the operation.

Do Not Perform Casual Mental Conversions Under Pressure#

If the procedure, operator documentation, and weather report use different units, use an approved or established conversion method.

Do not approximate: "600 meters is about 2,000 feet, close enough."

Low-visibility minima deserve exact handling.

Can RVR and Prevailing Visibility Be Converted?#

For some U.S. operations, yes—but only according to established rules.

14 CFR 91.175 contains a table allowing specified RVR values to be converted to ground visibility when:

• An RVR minimum is prescribed
• RVR is not reported for the runway

But that conversion does not apply to Category II or Category III minima.

The FAA AIM contains the same conversion table.

U.S. RVR-to-Visibility Table#

For the applicable non-CAT-II/III situations:

If an RVR value falls between listed values for conversion purposes, FAA guidance says to use the next higher RVR value, not interpolate.

This is a regulatory conversion tool.

It is not proof that RVR and ordinary visibility physically measure the same thing.

Published Minimums Can Use RVR or Statute Miles#

A major error in simplified RVR explanations is: "Every instrument approach has an RVR minimum."

No.

Depending on the procedure, published visibility minima may be expressed as:

• RVR
• Statute-mile visibility

Some approach charts show RVR for particular straight-in minima.

Others use statute miles.

Always read the actual procedure.

RVR Is Not Automatically the Sole Landing Requirement#

A low-visibility instrument approach can involve several distinct requirements:

• Authorized DA/DH or MDA
• Required visibility
• Required visual references
• Aircraft position and descent requirements
• Aircraft capability
• Crew qualification
• Operator authorization

RVR may be central to the operation.

It does not replace all the other requirements.

Part 91: What Happens at DA/DH or MDA?#

For ordinary U.S. Part 91 operations under 14 CFR 91.175, continuing below the authorized DA/DH or MDA requires, among other things:

• The aircraft to be in a position for a normal descent to landing
• Flight visibility not less than the visibility prescribed for the approach
• At least one specified visual reference to be distinctly visible and identifiable, unless different CAT II/III requirements apply

Those visual references can include items such as:

• Approach lights
• Threshold
• Threshold lights or markings
• Runway end identifier lights
• Touchdown zone
• Touchdown-zone lights or markings
• Runway
• Runway lights

So the legal question at DA/DH is more sophisticated than: "Is the reported RVR above a number?"

Approach Lights Have Their Own Visual-Reference Rule#

Under ordinary 14 CFR 91.175 operations, seeing only the approach-light system can permit descent below DA/DH or MDA.

But descending below:

100 feet above touchdown-zone elevation

using only approach lights requires the specified red terminating or red side-row lights to be distinctly visible.

That illustrates the distinction between:

• Reported visibility
• Visual references
• Actual descent authorization

CAT II and CAT III Are Special#

Category II and Category III operations have additional:

• Aircraft requirements
• Airport/facility requirements
• Crew training and qualification
• Operator authorization
• RVR requirements
• Visual-reference or system requirements

Do not apply normal CAT I assumptions to them.

CAT I, II, and III Are Not One-Number Tables#

A simplified chart may teach approximate category reference values.

That can help explain the progression toward lower visibility.

But actual operations must use the:

• Published procedure
• Aircraft capability
• Applicable FAA authorization
• Operator specifications or letter of authorization
• Required runway equipment

For example, current FAA authorization guidance supports multiple authorized minima within CAT II and CAT III depending on equipment and approval.

So: "CAT II always equals 1,200 feet"

is wrong.

And: "CAT III always equals 300 feet"

is also wrong.

CAT I#

A conventional CAT I operation generally has higher decision height and visibility requirements than CAT II or CAT III.

Many familiar ILS minima use values around:

• RVR 2,400
• RVR 1,800

depending on the procedure and lighting.

Special-authorized operations can go lower.

The actual approach chart and authorization control.

CAT II#

CAT II permits operation in lower visibility and to a lower decision height than conventional CAT I.

But there is no single CAT II RVR value that applies to:

• Every airplane
• Every runway
• Every operator

FAA all-weather-operations guidance contains different authorization levels depending on the system and approval.

CAT III#

CAT III supports still lower visibility operations.

It can involve sophisticated systems for:

• Guidance
• Landing
• Rollout

But:

CAT III does not simply mean "zero-zero autoland."

Operational CAT III minima depend on the approved combination of:

• Aircraft
• Automatic or manual guidance system
• Rollout capability
• Runway equipment
• RVR system
• Operator authorization

CAT IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC#

Traditional categorization distinguishes:

• CAT IIIA
• CAT IIIB
• CAT IIIC

with progressively lower visual requirements.

CAT IIIC represents the conceptual extreme with no decision height and no RVR limitation.

That does not mean ordinary commercial operations routinely conduct landings in literal zero visibility.

Real-world authorizations are constrained by:

• Aircraft systems
• Runway and taxi capability
• Surface movement
• Operator approval

Landing the airplane is only part of the problem.

The aircraft still has to safely roll out and taxi.

Autoland Does Not Automatically Authorize Low-RVR Landing#

Autoland capability alone is not enough.

Low-visibility operation can depend on:

• Aircraft certification
• Installed equipment
• System serviceability
• Crew qualification
• Airport approval
• ILS status
• Runway lighting
• RVR equipment
• Operator authorization

An aircraft having an AUTOLAND annunciation does not automatically make every CAT III approach available.

RVR and Runway Lighting#

Extremely low-visibility operations depend heavily on the airport's visual infrastructure.

Depending on the operation, important systems can include:

• High-intensity runway edge lights
• Runway centerline lights
• Touchdown-zone lights
• Approach-lighting systems

These systems can influence:

• Visual acquisition
• Published minima
• Facility eligibility for low-visibility operation

But remember:

lighting used operationally is not identical to the lighting input used by the RVR calculation.

Touchdown-Zone Lights#

Touchdown-zone lighting helps pilots identify and maintain orientation in the first portion of the runway.

It can also be part of the visual-reference environment required for lower-minimum operations.

Runway Centerline Lights#

Centerline lights become especially important as visibility decreases because they provide continuous directional guidance along the runway.

For the lowest-visibility rollout operations, maintaining the runway centerline can be more important than seeing the runway edges far away.

Approach Lighting#

Approach-lighting systems help transition the pilot from instrument guidance to the visual runway environment.

Different approach-lighting installations can support different published minima.

Again, they affect the procedure and visual transition, not necessarily the atmospheric sensor measurement itself.

RVR Matters for Takeoff Too#

RVR is not only a landing concept.

Low-visibility takeoff can depend on:

• RVR
• Runway lighting
• Centerline markings or lighting
• Multiple RVR sensors
• Crew qualification
• Aircraft/operator authorization

This is especially important in commercial operations.

Ordinary Part 91 Versus Commercial Takeoff Rules#

14 CFR 91.175's standard civil-airport IFR takeoff-minimum paragraph applies to operations under:

• Part 121
• Part 125
• Part 129
• Part 135

Ordinary noncommercial Part 91 operations are not included in that specific paragraph.

That sometimes produces the slogan: "Part 91 has no takeoff minimums."

But that slogan can be dangerously incomplete.

A pilot still has to consider:

• Aircraft performance
• Obstacle clearance
• Ability to remain controlled after liftoff
• Ability to return or continue if a problem occurs
• Personal and organizational requirements
• Airport and aircraft limitations

Legal permissibility is not the same as operational wisdom.

Commercial Low-Visibility Takeoff#

Air-carrier and other authorized operations can use RVR-based takeoff minima under:

• Applicable regulations
• Operations specifications
• Approved low-visibility procedures

The permitted minima depend on facility and operator capability.

There is no useful universal statement such as: "Airliners can take off at RVR 500."

Some approved operations may use very low values.

Others cannot.

Which RVR Reading Controls?#

There is no one rule that: "Touchdown RVR always controls everything."

For ordinary arrival reporting, touchdown RVR is the primary value ATC issues.

But low-visibility authorizations can also require:

• Midpoint
• Rollout

RVR.

Takeoff operations may also depend on multiple runway-segment readings.

The controlling requirements come from the applicable:

• Procedure
• Authorization
• Operations specifications

Why Midpoint and Rollout Matter#

Imagine:

• Touchdown RVR 1,600
• Midpoint RVR 800
• Rollout RVR 600

The approach end may look substantially better than the rest of the runway.

An operation capable of landing in those conditions still needs adequate guidance to:

• Track the centerline
• Decelerate
• Avoid exiting the pavement
• Find the taxiway

Low-visibility flight does not end at touchdown.

RVR and Low-Visibility Taxi#

After landing, the crew may still face:

• Very short visual range
• Difficult taxiway identification
• Stop-bar restrictions
• Reduced surface-movement rates
• Increased runway-incursion risk

Airports may activate formal low-visibility procedures to protect:

• ILS critical areas
• Runway crossings
• Surface movement
• Aircraft separation

See Airport Operations 101.

Why Low Visibility Causes Delays#

RVR can affect airport capacity even when aircraft are technically capable of operating.

Low-visibility procedures may require:

• Greater aircraft spacing
• Protection of ILS critical areas
• Longer runway occupancy buffers
• Restricted taxi routes
• Fewer runway crossings
• More conservative departure and arrival flows

That can create significant delays before the weather becomes completely unflyable.

See Flight Delays & Cancellations Explained.

Weather That Reduces RVR#

Several phenomena can reduce runway visual range.

Fog#

Fog is one of the classic RVR problems.

Its distribution can be highly nonuniform.

A shallow fog layer can create poor runway visibility even when conditions look substantially better from elsewhere on the airport.

Radiation fog#

Radiation fog can form overnight under favorable:

• Cooling
• Moisture
• Wind

conditions.

It often changes rapidly around sunrise.

But improvement is not guaranteed at one exact clock time.

Advection fog#

Advection fog forms when moist air moves over a colder surface.

It can affect large coastal or airport areas and persist despite daytime heating.

Heavy rain#

Heavy precipitation can reduce visual contrast and runway-light visibility.

RVR may deteriorate quickly beneath intense showers.

Snow and blowing snow#

Snow can reduce RVR through:

• Falling precipitation
• Blowing snow
• Reduced contrast

Surface snow can also make runway edges and markings harder to distinguish.

RVR Can Vary Along One Runway#

This is why multiple sensors exist.

A fog bank does not need to cover a runway uniformly.

At the same moment:

• Touchdown may be 2,400 feet
• Midpoint may be 1,600 feet
• Rollout may be 800 feet

One airport-wide visibility number cannot describe that spatial structure.

RVR Can Also Change Rapidly With Time#

Fog and showers move.

The atmosphere can transition between:

• Improving
• Deteriorating
• Highly variable

conditions in minutes.

That is why crews listen for updated values rather than relying on the RVR copied during preflight.

Variable RVR Is Information, Not a Separate Minimum#

A variable RVR range tells you the value has been fluctuating.

Example:

R24L/1200V2400FT

does not create a new category of approach.

It tells you that runway conditions varied between those values during the relevant reporting period.

The applicable operational rule determines how that information is used.

Do Not Automatically Use the Lower Value as a Legal Rule#

Operationally, a low end of a variable range deserves attention.

But the statement: "Always legally use the lower number"

is too broad.

Which RVR value controls an operation depends on:

• Regulatory framework
• Procedure
• Operator authorization
• Current reported values

Treat variability as an indication of an unstable environment and apply the actual rules governing the flight.

METAR Versus ATC RVR#

A METAR provides the coded weather-report RVR information.

ATC may have an approximately minute-by-minute current RVR readout.

So during an approach:

the RVR spoken by ATC can be more operationally current than the value you saw in an older METAR.

ATIS#

ATIS may include current low-visibility information where appropriate.

But pilots should be prepared for ATC to issue newer RVR values as conditions change.

Do not assume the ATIS recording freezes the RVR for the approach.

Does a TAF Forecast RVR?#

Standard U.S. NWS TAFs forecast prevailing visibility, not runway-specific RVR.

So a TAF might forecast:

1/2SM FG

It does not ordinarily forecast:

R27/1200FT

That RVR value is an observation produced by runway equipment.

This distinction matters for planning.

See How to Read a TAF.

You Cannot Know Arrival RVR Exactly From the TAF#

A TAF can indicate that low-visibility conditions are likely.

But actual RVR at arrival depends on:

• Exact fog distribution
• Precipitation
• Light conditions
• Runway-light setting
• Local runway conditions
• Sensor measurements at that time

Plan from the forecast.

Operate from current information.

A Better RVR Planning Workflow#

1. Check the forecast environment#

Look for:

• Fog
• Low visibility
• Heavy precipitation
• Snow
• Frontal timing

Use the TAF and broader weather picture.

2. Identify likely runways and approaches#

Determine which approaches are operationally realistic.

3. Read the actual published minima#

Do not substitute a memorized CAT I/II/III number.

4. Confirm aircraft and crew capability#

Ask whether the operation requires:

• CAT II/III authorization
• Autoland
• HUD or other guidance
• Special crew qualification
• Specific aircraft equipment

5. Check airport equipment#

Low-visibility capability can depend on:

• RVR sensors
• ILS status
• Approach lights
• Runway centerline lights
• Touchdown-zone lights
• Low-visibility procedures

6. Build an alternate plan#

Consider:

• Holding fuel
• Diversion airport
• Approach availability
• Weather trend

7. Get current RVR near the operation#

Use the latest:

• METAR/SPECI
• ATIS
• ATC RVR report

as applicable.

8. Apply the actual regulation and authorization#

Do not turn a generic guide into your operator's minima manual.

Common Myths About RVR#

Myth: RVR is exactly how far the pilot can see#

No.

It is an instrumentally derived estimate representing runway visual range under standardized assumptions and current lighting/ambient conditions.

Myth: RVR is just a more accurate version of prevailing visibility#

No.

It is runway-specific and designed around the runway visual environment.

Prevailing visibility describes general horizontal visibility at the station.

Myth: Prevailing visibility is always measured by a human#

No.

Modern U.S. airport visibility is often measured by automated weather systems, sometimes with human augmentation.

Myth: Every RVR system uses transmissometers#

No.

The U.S. also uses New Generation forward-scatter RVR systems.

Myth: Every RVR runway has three sensors#

No.

Touchdown, midpoint, and rollout configurations depend on the facility and supported operation.

Myth: VP means variable RVR#

No.

The variable separator is V.

In 2000VP6000, the P belongs to P6000, meaning greater than 6,000 feet.

Myth: RVR and prevailing visibility can never be substituted#

Sometimes U.S. regulations permit an RVR-to-ground-visibility conversion when RVR is unavailable.

The conversion does not apply to CAT II or CAT III minimums.

Myth: Every instrument approach has an RVR minimum#

No.

Some procedures publish RVR; others publish statute-mile visibility.

Use the actual chart.

Myth: Reported RVR is the only requirement to continue below DA#

No.

Applicable regulations also involve flight visibility, aircraft position, and required visual references, with special rules for CAT II/III and authorized operations.

Myth: CAT I always means RVR 1,800#

No.

Actual minima depend on the procedure, equipment, lighting, and authorization.

Myth: CAT II always means RVR 1,200#

No.

Different approved CAT II minima exist.

Myth: CAT III means zero-zero autoland#

No.

CAT III encompasses a range of very-low-visibility capabilities and authorizations.

Myth: Autoland automatically allows CAT III#

No.

The complete aircraft, crew, airport, equipment, and operator authorization must support the operation.

Myth: RVR only matters for landing#

No.

It is also fundamental to many low-visibility takeoff and rollout operations.

Myth: A TAF can tell you the arrival RVR#

Standard U.S. TAFs forecast prevailing visibility rather than runway-specific RVR.

Myth: RVR is updated only every ten minutes#

Controller RVR displays can update approximately once per minute.

The ten-minute concept relates to how RVR is represented in the aviation weather observation.

Frequently Asked Questions#

Key Takeaways#

• RVR is a runway-specific, instrumentally derived visual-range value.
• RVR is not identical to a pilot's actual flight visibility.
• RVR and prevailing visibility describe different aspects of the visual environment.
• Ceiling and RVR are different quantities.
• U.S. RVR has been produced using both transmissometer and forward-scatter technology.
• New Generation RVR calculations include atmospheric sensing, runway-light intensity, and ambient-light information.
• RVR equipment can serve touchdown, midpoint, and rollout portions of a runway, but not every runway has all three.
• ATC can report touchdown, midpoint, and rollout values separately.
• U.S. controller RVR displays can update approximately once per minute.
• METAR RVR groups are runway-specific and reported in feet.
• R27/2400FT means Runway 27 RVR 2,400 feet.
• Variable RVR uses V, as in R24L/1200V2400FT.
• M indicates below the system's minimum reportable value.
• P indicates above the system's maximum reportable value.
• A sequence such as 2000VP6000 means variable from 2,000 to greater than 6,000 feet; VP is not one abbreviation.
• U.S. weather observations report RVR when specified low-visibility criteria are met.
• RVR changes can trigger a SPECI.
• Many airports and runways do not have RVR equipment.
• U.S. RVR is reported in feet; many other States use meters.
• Some U.S. RVR minima can be converted to ground visibility when RVR is unavailable, but this does not apply to CAT II or CAT III minima.
• Instrument approaches can publish RVR or statute-mile visibility minima.
• RVR is not the only requirement for continuing below DA/DH or MDA.
• Under ordinary Part 91, flight visibility and required visual references are central requirements under 14 CFR 91.175.
• CAT I, CAT II, and CAT III do not each have one universal RVR value.
• CAT II and CAT III require appropriately approved aircraft, facilities, crews, and operations.
• Autoland alone does not authorize CAT III operation.
• RVR matters for takeoff, landing, and rollout.
• Low visibility also affects taxi, runway occupancy, and airport capacity.
• Standard U.S. TAFs forecast prevailing visibility rather than RVR.
• Use the actual instrument procedure, regulations, aircraft limitations, and operator authorization rather than memorized generic RVR minima.

Sources & References#

• FAA Aeronautical Information Manual, current edition, Chapter 7, Section 1: Runway Visual Range, weather reporting, METAR RVR coding, and visibility.
• FAA Aeronautical Information Manual, current edition, Chapter 5, Section 4: Approach and Landing Minimums and RVR-to-visibility conversions.
• 14 CFR § 91.175, Takeoff and Landing Under IFR.
• FAA Order JO 7110.65, Section 2-8: Runway Visibility Reporting — Terminal.
• FAA Order 6560.10, Runway Visual Range (RVR).
• FAA Advisory Circular AC 120-118, Criteria for Approval/Authorization of All Weather Operations for Takeoff, Landing, and Rollout.
• FAA Aviation Weather Handbook, FAA-H-8083-28B, current edition.
• FAA Instrument Procedures Handbook, FAA-H-8083-16B, visibility and instrument-approach concepts.
• ICAO Annex 3, Meteorological Service for International Air Navigation, current edition, for international RVR reporting context.
• ICAO Annex 14, Aerodromes, current edition, for aerodrome visual-aid and low-visibility infrastructure context.