All Weather Operations — Page 65, Lesson 101

I want to walk you through the All Weather Operations chapter, starting with Low Visibility Operations from the aerodrome perspective. First, let's talk about aerodrome considerations. An operator — that's the airline or company — cannot use an aerodrome for Category II or Category III operations unless that aerodrome is approved for such operations by the State in which the aerodrome is situated. So the national aviation authority of the country where the airport is located must give its approval. The operator must also verify that Low Visibility Procedures, abbreviated as LVP, have been established and will be enforced at those aerodromes where low visibility operations are to be conducted. LVP is the set of ground and air traffic procedures that protect the integrity of the ILS signal and ensure safe separation during low visibility. Now, moving to training and qualifications. The operator must ensure that before conducting a low visibility take-off, Category II or III operations, or approaches utilizing an Enhanced Vision System — EVS — several conditions are met. First, each flight crew member must complete training and checking as prescribed, including flight simulator training, in operating to the limiting values of RVR and DH appropriate to the operator's Category II or III approval. RVR is Runway Visual Range — the distance a pilot can see down the runway. DH is Decision Height — the height above the runway threshold at which the pilot must decide to continue the approach or execute a missed approach. The crew member must be qualified to the prescribed standard. Second, that training and checking must be conducted in accordance with a detailed syllabus approved by the Authority — the national aviation authority — and included in the Operations Manual, the OM. This training is in addition to all other prescribed training — it is not a substitute for normal training. Third, the flight crew qualification must be specific for the type of aeroplane and the operation. So being qualified on a Boeing 737 does not automatically qualify you on an Airbus A320 for low visibility operations; it is type-specific. Fourth, the training, checking, and qualification requirements are as prescribed in EU-OPS 1, which is the European regulation governing commercial air transport operations. Let's move to operating procedures. The operator must establish procedures and instructions to be used for low visibility take-off, approaches utilizing EVS, Lower than Standard Category I, Other than Standard Category II, Category II, and Category III operations. These procedures must be included in the Operations Manual and must contain the duties of the crew members during taxiing, take-off, approach, flare, landing, roll-out, and missed approach as appropriate. The Commander — the Captain — must be satisfied that several conditions are met before commencing a low visibility take-off or a Category II or III approach. First, the status of the visual and non-visual facilities is sufficient. Visual facilities include runway lights, approach lights, and markings. Non-visual facilities include the Instrument Landing System — the ILS — and other radio navigation aids. Second, appropriate low visibility procedures are in force according to information received from Air Traffic Control before commencing. Third, the flight crew members are properly qualified before commencing a low visibility take-off in RVR of less than 150 meters for Category A, B, and C aeroplanes, or 200 meters for Category D aeroplanes, or before commencing Category II or III approaches. So the RVR threshold that triggers the qualification check is 150 meters for smaller aircraft categories and 200 meters for the largest category D aircraft. Finally, minimum equipment. The operator must ensure that the Operations Manual contains the minimum equipment that has to be serviceable before low visibility procedures can be commenced. The Commander must be satisfied that the status of the aeroplane and the airborne systems is appropriate for the specific operation to be conducted. So both ground facilities and aircraft systems must be in working order before you can start a low visibility operation.