Visibility

OBJECTIVES
To understand the definition of
visibility , causes of poor
visibility & factors affecting
visibility.

Introduction
Direct observation of land marks, obstructions and
targets by the pilots is a very imp. factor in aviation
even though there are number of modern day
instruments are on board.
A pilot always takes keen interest in visibility
because he wants to know how far off he will be
able to see both in the air and on the ground.
Visibility is an important weather element in
meteorology. It has a direct effect on missions.

Definition
The greatest horizontal distance at which objects
can be seen and recognized by an observer on
the ground with normal eyesight and under normal
daylight illumination is known as visibility.

Units
The horizontal visibility is normally expressed
in kilometers.
The visibility in all directions is measured and
the minimum value is reported but a
supplementary report of the maximum visibility
and its direction may also be made.

Visibility At Ground In Day Time:

Visibility land marks should be dark in color and
so placed as to be viewed against the sky or
other light background.
The range at which any ordinary object can be
seen under normal conditions of light will not
differ seriously form the visibility distance,
unless the object is very small or blends well
with its background.

Visibility at Night
The visibility reported at night is the equivalent
of daylight visibility. That is, the visibility that
would be reported, if it were daylight under the
same conditions of atmospheric obscurity.
It is reported by observing selected lights
around the air fields.

Oblique or Slant Visibility

Normal visibility is horizontal distance at
ground level.
Even from 100 ft, oblique visibility may be
much greater (when above shallow layer of
fog) or much less (when in a low cloud layer)
than the horizontal visibility at the ground.
Remember that oblique visibility is always
different than the horizontal visibility.

Visibility from Aircraft

A small object is not visible in the air from a
much greater distance because of the
vibration in the aircraft.
At times visibility is much less in the air than
from the surface. For example, it may be an
almost cloudless day, but there may be an
inversion of temperature which traps all dust
and other particles that are carried upwards.

RVR
RVR stands for runway visual range , it is
generally used in low visibility conditions
i.e. below 2kms.
RVR is the effective visual range in the
direction of landing or take off observed
from a ht of 15 ft by observer or
automatically by RVR instrument.
RVR reading is generally used for ILS
approach in bad visibility.

Effect of Position of Sun or Moon

The visibility may also vary with the position of

the sun or moon. For example, in haze, an
observer looking away from sun can usually
differentiate objects at a greater distance due to
less glare, than when he is looking into the sun.
On the other hand, in the bright moon light and
slight mist, objects can be seen at a greater
distance by an observer looking towards the
moon than away from it. In this case the
reflection of moonlight from objects shows them
up, and there is comparatively little glare.

Factors Affecting Visibility

The factors that affect the vision of the observer
and consequently the visibility are:(a) The observers keenness of vision.
(b) Amount of dust particles/water-droplets in
the air.
(c) Presence of surrounding hills.
(d) The color, brightness, and size of the object.
(e) The transparency of any window, wind
screen etc. through which the visibility is
measured.

Causes of Poor Visibility

The main causes of the atmospheric obscurity
may be classified as follows:(a) Fog and Mist
(b) Clouds and Precipitation
(c) Wind blown Spray from the Sea
(d) Smoke
(e) Dust and Sand
Smoke and dust particles are usually less
effective in reducing the visibility than the water
droplets.

Effect of Stability and Wind

on Visibilty
Light winds and stable air can result in
high concentration of solid impurities, so a
high pressure, Ridge or COL favors hazy
weather specially in the morning.
Strong winds and unstable atmosphere
usually disperse impurities in air as loose
dust particles are suspended in the air by
these conditions.

FOG
MET 14

Introduction
Sometimes you see clouds on surface from far
away places, this is basically fog. Fog is also
called cloud on ground.

Definition Of Fog
How can you define fog?
Fog is the extreme case of reduced
visibility, less than 1km (1000 m), and
humidity more than 95%.
It can also be defined as suspension of very
small water droplets in the air, generally
reducing the horizontal visibility at the
earths surface to less than 1.0 km (5/8
miles).

Formation Of Fog
Do you remember cloud formation
process?
Fog is formed when air is saturated with
water vapors.
This saturation occurs due to either by
increasing the water vapors and keeping
the temperature as constant, or by
decreasing the temperature, keeping the
amount of water vapors as constant.

Types Of Fog
(a) Evaporation Fog: Evaporation Fog is
that in which saturation is reached by
evaporation of water vapors in the parcel
of air. It has two types:
(i) Frontal Fog: It is formed in the area
between a cold front and a warm front
(ii) Steam Fog: Steam fog is common
in winter towards lakes and river sides
in the morning.

(b) Cooling Fog:

Cooling Fog is that fog in

which saturation is reached by cooling the parcel
of air. It has three types:
(i)
Radiation fog
(ii)
Advection fog
(iii)
Up slope fog

(i)

Radiation fog:-

The radiation fog is another type of cooling

fog in which the cooling mechanism is
terrestrial radiation.
It is exclusively a land fog because its
development depends on the cooling of the
ground.

 The types of radiation fog are:-

(A)

Inversion Fog:

(B)

Conductive Fog: On clear nights

When there is
an inversion layer on the ground, the air in
contact is cooler; molecules of water
remain near the ground forming a dense
layer of fog.
after a rapid terrestrial radiation the cooling
of ground is transferred to deep layer of air
by turbulent winds.

(ii)

Advection fog:-

It is that fog which is formed by the

movement of warm moist air over a colder
surface so that its temperature is reduced
below the dew point.
The only requirement for the formation of
Advection fog is that air should move
towards a colder surface there are two types
of this fog

There are two types of Advection fog:

(A) Sea fog
(B) Coastal area fog

(A) Sea fog:Sea fog usually forms with

light & moderate winds over
cool sea surface, due to
which the air in contact
is also cooler.

(B)

Coastal Area Fog:

With the on shore winds fog may be formed

in land. A sea breeze can bring such a fog
over the coast.

(iii) Up Slope Fog:

It is that fog which is formed along
the slope or foothill of mountains
during the up glide of warm moist
air.

Dispersal Of Fog
(i) Advancement of drier air mass.
(ii) Strong winds.
(iii) Solar heating.

Diurnal Variation Of Fog

Fogs tend
heating.

to

dissipate

through

Therefore, there is a marked diurnal

variation in the intensity of fogs, with
a maximum about dawn and a
minimum in the afternoon.

Air Field States

The airfield states are to be designated
according to the prevailing weather reported by
Met Department. The limitations imposed are
indicated against each airfield state.

 Red:: Clouds: More than 5/8 at/below 200' AGL

Visibility: Less than 01 km
Yellow II:: Clouds: More than 5/8 at 200 - 500 AGL
Visibility: 1 km 2 km
Yellow I:: Clouds: More than 5/8 at 600-1500 AGL
Visibility: 2.1 km 3.5 km
Green IFR:: Clouds: Any cloud amount above 1500
provided not more than 5/8 below 1500
Visibility: 3.6 km - 5 km
Green:: Clouds: Any cloud amount above 1500
provided not more than 5/8 below 1500
Visibility: More than 5 km