Last updated on Jul 17, 2024

You're faced with dense fog conditions on the runway. How can you ensure visibility for incoming flights?

Dense fog on the runway can be a significant challenge for airport management, impacting the safety and schedule of incoming flights. Ensuring visibility in these conditions requires a combination of advanced technology, skilled personnel, and robust procedures. As you navigate this complex situation, it's crucial to understand the available tools and techniques that can help maintain safe operations and minimize disruptions.

Key takeaways from this article

Enhance lighting systems:

High-intensity lights and visual aids are crucial for cutting through fog. By adjusting their intensity based on conditions, you can significantly improve runway visibility for pilots.
Regularly calibrate RVR:

The Runway Visual Range system gives real-time visibility data. Ensure it's accurately calibrated for pilots to make safe landing and takeoff decisions in low-visibility conditions.

This summary is powered by AI and these experts

1 Fog Basics

Understanding fog's nature is essential in airport management. Fog is a cloud at ground level, formed when the air near the ground cools enough to turn its water vapor into liquid water or ice. This weather phenomenon significantly reduces visibility, which can be measured in terms of Runway Visual Range (RVR). RVR is the distance over which a pilot of an aircraft on the centerline of the runway can see the runway surface markings or the lights delineating the runway or identifying its centerline.

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Mohammad Saad Alharbi, CAPM, SMS

Airport management / operations
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Understanding fog is essential in airport management. Fog forms when air near the ground cools enough to turn water vapor into liquid water or ice, creating a cloud at ground level. This weather phenomenon significantly reduces visibility, measured by Runway Visual Range (RVR). RVR indicates how far a pilot can see the runway surface markings or lights from the centerline, crucial for safe landing and takeoff.

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barnabe IDAGOU

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Clouds are normally topping the sky. Yet, at times they can come sit on ground reducing visibility to less than 0.6 NM. Such weather condition is known as Fog and can be observed under different types: -radiation fog: land loses its heat to the atmosphere causing the moist air topping its surface to cool. -Valley fog: temperature inversion after a rainfall. The soil initially moist releases now solar energy and allow the temperature to cool near or at the dew point. -Advection fog: formed by the slow passage of relatively warm, moist, stable air over a colder wet surface. -Evaporation fog: caused by cold air passing over warmer water or moist land. -Upslope fog: Air blows up a slope, rise, cool and condense the moisture inside.

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2 RVR Systems

Runway Visual Range (RVR) systems are critical during low-visibility conditions. These sophisticated systems measure the distance over which a pilot can see the runway's lights or surface markings. RVR provides real-time data to air traffic controllers, who then communicate with pilots to ensure they have accurate visibility readings before making critical landing or takeoff decisions. Regular calibration and maintenance of these systems are vital to guarantee their reliability in foggy conditions.

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Mohammad Saad Alharbi, CAPM, SMS

Airport management / operations
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Runway Visual Range (RVR) systems are crucial during low-visibility conditions. These advanced systems measure how far a pilot can see the runway's lights or surface markings, providing real-time data to air traffic controllers. This information ensures pilots have accurate visibility readings before making critical landing or takeoff decisions. Regular calibration and maintenance of these systems are vital for their reliability in foggy conditions.

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3 Lighting Aids

Enhanced airport lighting plays a pivotal role in improving visibility. High-intensity runway lights, approach lighting systems, and visual approach slope indicator systems (VASIS) are some of the aids that help pilots navigate during low visibility. These lights are designed to penetrate fog and provide a clear path for landing and takeoff. It's crucial to check that all lighting systems are operational and to adjust the intensity as needed for optimal visibility.

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Mohammad Saad Alharbi, CAPM, SMS

Airport management / operations
Report contribution
Enhanced airport lighting is essential for improving visibility during low-visibility conditions. High-intensity runway lights, approach lighting systems, and visual approach slope indicator systems (VASIS) help pilots navigate safely. These lights penetrate fog, providing a clear path for landing and takeoff. Regular checks and adjustments of lighting systems ensure they are operational and at optimal intensity for visibility.l

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4 Communication Protocols

Clear and constant communication is paramount in foggy conditions. Air traffic controllers must maintain regular contact with pilots, providing updates on visibility and any changes to landing procedures. Pilots rely on this information to make informed decisions about their approach or potential diversion to another airport. It's also important to keep ground crews informed about visibility conditions to ensure the safe maneuvering of aircraft on the tarmac.

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5 Pilot Training

Pilots must be adept at flying in low-visibility conditions. This includes being proficient in using instruments and understanding the specific procedures for landing in fog. Training in flight simulators can prepare pilots for these scenarios, ensuring they remain calm and collected when real-world visibility is compromised. It's essential for airport management to verify that all pilots operating in their airspace have the necessary training and certifications.

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6 Contingency Plans

Having a comprehensive contingency plan is crucial for managing dense fog scenarios. This plan should include alternative landing procedures, the potential use of nearby airports for diversions, and measures to accommodate delayed or canceled flights. It's important to consider the impact on passengers and to have strategies in place for communicating with them about delays and providing necessary services during extended waits.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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You're faced with dense fog conditions on the runway. How can you ensure visibility for incoming flights?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Fog Basics

2 RVR Systems

3 Lighting Aids

4 Communication Protocols

5 Pilot Training

6 Contingency Plans

7 Here’s what else to consider

Airport Management

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You're faced with dense fog conditions on the runway. How can you ensure visibility for incoming flights?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Fog Basics

2 RVR Systems

3 Lighting Aids

4 Communication Protocols

5 Pilot Training

6 Contingency Plans

7 Here’s what else to consider

Airport Management

Rate this article

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