Lesson 20

Low Visibility and Wind shear

• Objectives
• 1.Be familiar with the key words and phrases relating to low visibility
and wind shear
• 2.Master the standard terminology and format of RVR and wind shear
reporting

• Key points
• 1.RVR reporting format
• 2.Windshear reporting format
• 3.Windshear warning issuance by ATC
• Difficult points
• 1. Words and phrases concerning adverse weather
• 2. RVR and wind shear reporting format
• Teaching material: P178-182
• The abstract of teaching contents
• 1. Key words explanation
• 2. Background information about low visibility and wind shear
• 3. The format of RVR and wind shear reporting
• 4. Exercises
• Teaching method
• Try to use comparative and communicative method to help students
familiarizing themselves with the format of RVR reporting and wind shear
reporting. The teacher will complete the whole context by using
translating way, and approach the communication skills through exercises.
• Teaching Procedures
• 1. Review
• 2. New word study
• 3. Model exchanges and dialogue
• 4. Exercises
• 5. Homework

Lesson 20
Low Visibility and Wind shear
 Lesson 20
Low Visibility and Wind shear

• 1. Review of Lesson 19
• 2. New words study
• a. variable---changeable
• b. sandstorm---storm in a sandy desert with clouds of sand raised
by wind
• c. deteriorate---make or become worse
• d. vicinity---neighbourhood
• e. alert---a. watchful, fully awake
• *
• 3. Model exchanges and dialogue
• A. Background information about visibility and RVR
• a. Compare: visibility and RVR
– Visibility----The ability, as determined by atmospheric conditions
and expressed in units of distance, to see and identify prominent
unlighted objects by day and prominent lighted objects by night.
Visibility is reported as statute or nautical miles, hundreds of feet
or meters. It usually refers to the prevailing horizontal visibility
near the earth’s surface as reported by an accredited observer.

Lesson 20
Low Visibility and Wind shear
 – RVR---- an instrumentally derived value, based on standard
calibrations, that represents the horizontal distance a pilot will see
down the runway from approach end; RVR, in contrast to runway
visibility, is based on what a pilot in a moving a/c should looking
down the r/w. RVR is horizontal visual range not slant visual
range. It is based on the measurement of a transmission meter
made near the touchdown point of the instrument runway and is
reported in hundreds of feet or meters.
– *
– b. Touchdown RVR: the RVR readout values obtained from RVR

equipment serving the r/w touchdown zone

• mid RVR: the RVR readout values obtained from RVR
equipment located midfield of the r/w

Lesson 20
Low Visibility and Wind shear
Lesson 20
Low Visibility and Wind shear

• Rollout RVR: the RVR readout values obtained from RVR

equipment located nearest the rollout end of the r/w
• Note: ICAO use ‘stop end’ instead of ‘rollout’.
• c. Usually, RVR reports are only given when the visibility is less than
a certain distance, e.g., 1000m.
• d. RVR values are always reported with respect to a particular r/w;
they may not be applied to other adjacent runways or to the entire
airport.
• *
• B. The format of RVR reporting
• RVR is reported in this way:
• RVR-----r/w number-----RVR values
• e.g. (1) CCA 101 RVR r/w 18R 550m
Lesson 20
Low Visibility and Wind shear

• (2) CCA 101 RVR r/w 36L touchdown 650m, mid-point 700m, stop
end 800m
• (3) RVR r/w 26R greater than 1100m
• (4) RVR r/w 08 less than 100m
• (5) RVR r/w 26 touchdown 600m, mid-point 800m, stop end missing
• *
• Oral practice: You are a controller at an airfield. Transmit the
following RVR information.
• ATC: RVR less than 800m
• R/w 08--- touchdown 850m, mid-point 700m, stop end 900m
• RVR Greater than 1100m
• R/w 28---1000m
• R/w 10R---touchdown 900m, mid-point 650m, stop end missing
 Lesson 20
Low Visibility and Wind shear
• C.Background information about wind shear
• a. What is wind shear?
• Wind shear is a sudden, drastic shift in wind speed and/or direction that
may occur at any altitude in an vertical or horizontal plane. It can subject
your a/c to sudden updrafts, downdrafts, or extreme horizontal wind
components, causing loss of lift or violent changes in vertical speeds or
altitudes.
• b. Wind shear often exists near the surface when there is a frontal system,
thunderstorm, or temperature inversion with strong upper winds in the area.
• c. So once encountering wind shear, pilots are requested to make a wind
shear report. And once receiving pilots’ wind shear report, ATC will
transfer the message to other a/c as warning.
• d. A low-level wind shear alert system is installed at some airports. Besides
pilots’ wind shear report, another source of wind shear information
obtained by ATC is the LLWAS.
Lesson 20
Low Visibility and Wind shear

• e. The level used describing wind shear is classified in 3 degrees:

strong, severe, and moderate.
• *
• D.The format of wind shear reporting
• Relating to wind shear, pilot-controller communications are based in
two cases:
• a. ATC offers wind shear warning
• 1)a/c call sign
• 2)windshear warning
• 3)level of wind shear
• 4)sometimes the a/c making the report is mentioned
• 5)altitude or level where wind shear exists
 Lesson 20
Low Visibility and Wind shear

• 6)time of wind shear reporting

• e.g. CCA102 wind shear warning strong wind shear reported at 800ft 2
miles final r/w 31
• *
• b. Pilots make wind shear report
• 1)ATC call sign
• 2)A/c call sign
• 3)Encountered wind shear
• 4)Spot or altitude encountering wind shear
• 5)Height range of speed gain
• 6)Height range of speed loss
• e.g. B Approach CSN304 encountered windshear at 600m gain 20 kts b
etween 600 and 400m, followed by a loss of 30kts between 400 and 200
m
Lesson 20
Low Visibility and Wind shear

• *
• E. language points
• a. no contact at minima: r/w not in sight at MSA
• b. ceiling 300m variable: present ceiling 300m, but it is changeable
• c. the weather is deteriorating: the weather is becoming worse
• d. height of wind shear layer 1500: encountered wind shear at 1500m
• *
• F. Exercises following this lesson
• Have students complete the exercises following the lesson.
• 4. Homework
• Recite the dialogue.
• Preview Lesson 21.