CAAP Private Pilot License (PPL) Meteorology Practice Test

Visibility comes in different forms because pilots need both a general sense of what the weather looks like and a precise measure along the path you’ll actually use for landing. Prevailing visibility is the broad distance you can see in most directions at ground level. It’s a general measure used for planning and airspace decisions, and it’s what you’d rely on when you’re not focused on a specific runway path. Runway Visual Range is a runway-focused measurement. It’s measured along the runway centerline with dedicated instruments and tells you how far you can see down that particular runway. Because landing and rollout depend on the exact visibility along the landing path, RVR is what’s used to gauge whether a safe approach and landing are possible. There are usually separate RVR readings for the touchdown zone, the middle of the runway, and the rollout. So, the correct understanding is: prevailing visibility is the greatest distance you can see in all directions, while RVR is the distance you can see along the runway and is specifically important for landing operations. RVR is not used for en route segments.