RVR reading in ATIS

[ok45]

Hi all.. we were flying to KJFK the other day and the weather was below CAT I minima.
our ops manual requires at least 2 RVR readings for anything below CAT I, but in KJFK (and KEWR and KBOS) that day, only 1 RVR readings are given

so is that the norm in the US to only have 1 RVR reading? Are pilots expected to ask for "complete" RVR reading before landing? Am I missing something? Thanks!

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/658x1005/screenshot_2024_05_28_at_5_34_18_am_756a5adc3b61c4f9363d35c1 8bc5262b084589f7.jpeg

[Jonty]

RVRs change so rapidly that the only source of up to date RVRs is ATC. So you get a single RVR from the ATIS, which could be well out of date, and the latest 3 from Tower or Approach.

[negativeclimb]

Am I wrong or the visibility reported is 1 SM? So above the CAT I mins?

Hi all.. we were flying to KJFK the other day and the weather was below CAT I minima.
our ops manual requires at least 2 RVR readings for anything below CAT I, but in KJFK (and KEWR and KBOS) that day, only 1 RVR readings are given

so is that the norm in the US to only have 1 RVR reading? Are pilots expected to ask for "complete" RVR reading before landing? Am I missing something? Thanks!

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/658x1005/screenshot_2024_05_28_at_5_34_18_am_756a5adc3b61c4f9363d35c1 8bc5262b084589f7.jpeg

[Cough]

I'd say the viz is 1/4 statute mile.

[MarkerInbound]

The official visibility is a quarter mile. I don’t remember where the weather observation is taken there. However, the folks in the tower, which is 300 plus feet up can can see some stuff a mile away. Looks like a very variable day. Odd that they’re giving you the 04R RVR when runway 22L is in use.

[Vessbot]

Odd that they’re giving you the 04R RVR when runway 22L is in use.

I wondered the same thing. Maybe it's because 4R TDZ is most on the water, and intended as a worst-case representation of the overall airport.

[ok45]

I wondered the same thing. Maybe it's because 4R TDZ is most on the water, and intended as a worst-case representation of the overall airport.

Hi All,

thank you for the replies. I found some lead in FAA Aviation Weather Handbook p297:

"For U.S. airports only, the touchdown zone’s (TDZ) RVR is reported. For U.S. airports with multiple runways, the operating runway with the lowest touchdown RVR is reported. RVR may be reported for up to four designated runways in other countries."

So the question is, do I still need to get Mid and Rollout RVR from tower? I mean, does the tower actually have all the RVR readings and expected to provide pilots the information readily?

[B2N2]

So the question is, do I still need to get Mid and Rollout RVR from tower? I mean, does the tower actually have all the RVR readings and expected to provide pilots the information readily?

If your Ops manual require two RVR’s then you can either ask the final approach controller or tower controller.
Technically you already have the rollout RVR for RWY 22 so you’ll need the threshold RVR.

[WhiteKnight]

It also doesn’t say that low visibility procedures are in progress. My company procedures require those specific words.

[Vessbot]

Hi All,

thank you for the replies. I found some lead in FAA Aviation Weather Handbook p297:

"For U.S. airports only, the touchdown zone’s (TDZ) RVR is reported. For U.S. airports with multiple runways, the operating runway with the lowest touchdown RVR is reported. RVR may be reported for up to four designated runways in other countries."
Nice, good find.

So the question is, do I still need to get Mid and Rollout RVR from tower? I mean, does the tower actually have all the RVR readings and expected to provide pilots the information readily?
Approach (or Tower, I forgot which) reads them to you automatically.

It also doesn’t say that low visibility procedures are in progress. My company procedures require those specific words.
That's gonna be a problem flying in the US... there are no such words.

[FullWings]

It also doesn’t say that low visibility procedures are in progress. My company procedures require those specific words.
It was explained in this thread: https://www.pprune.org/tech-log/592796-low-visibility-ops-us.html for you and I don’t think anything has changed since?

[Amadis of Gaul]

That's gonna be a problem flying in the US... there are no such words.
There are, it's just not mandatory to use them. In fact, the only time I remember seeing them on an ATIS was at CVG about a million years ago.

[oceancrosser]

It also doesn’t say that low visibility procedures are in progress. My company procedures require those specific words.

That’s a bit of a “taliban” interpretation. Whoever wrote that hasn’t been around the block… er World.

[ok45]

Hi All,

The RVR question in the US is answered by FullWings' reply.

The document is JO 7110.65Z. It is in page 2-8-1. so the controller will only give touchdown RVR, except:
"Issue both mid-point and roll-out RVR when the value of either is less than 2,000 feet and the touchdown RVR is greater than the mid−point or roll−out RVR."

here is the link to the doc: https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Order/7110.65Z_ATC_Bsc_dtd_6-17-21.pdf

It was explained in this thread: https://www.pprune.org/tech-log/592796-low-visibility-ops-us.html for you and I don’t think anything has changed since?