Scope and definitions
The regulations affect nine German airports, including Dortmund, Friedrichshafen, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, Niederrhein, Mönchengladbach, Memmingen, Lahr, Paderborn and Braunschweig.
Low visibility operation (LVO)
Low visibility operations include approach and take-off procedures at runway visual ranges (RVR) of less than 550 metres and decision altitudes of less than 200 feet. Low visibility procedures (LVP) are used from a runway visibility of 600 metres in order to ensure stable and safe operations even in poor visibility conditions.
Low Visibility Take-Off (LVTO)
A low visibility take-off is defined as a take-off when the runway visibility is less than 550 metres. The new announcement emphasises that the regulations applicable in Germany for conducting stable operations already apply at a runway visibility of 600 metres.
Categories and procedures for low vision
The DAS has defined specific procedures for the different types of operations, ranging from CAT II and CAT III procedures to special regulations for low visibility take-offs (LVTO). The exact descriptions of the ILS facilities used for these operations can be found in the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP). Aerodromes that are only authorised for CAT I approaches but are used for LVTO are also noted in the AIP.
Important rules for low visibility
If the runway visibility is less than 1000 metres and the cloud base is below 300 feet, the emergency power supplies for the optical and non-optical landing aids must be provided. In addition, it must be ensured that no persons, vehicles or mobile technical equipment are present in the sensitive and critical areas (critical areas) of the CAT levels.
Additional measures for very low visibility
If the runway visibility falls below 600 metres and the main cloud base below 200 feet, additional regulations are applied:
- Switching off the glide angle lighting
- Switching off the Enhanced Flight Awareness System (EFAS)
- Activation of the piste centre line lighting and the red side row short bars
- Switch on the taxiway centreline lighting and the stop bars, if present
These measures ensure clear marking and lighting of the relevant areas and reduce the risk of misunderstandings or errors during ground traffic and take-off and landing phases in low visibility conditions.
Importance and benefits for safety
The new regulations issued by DFS Aviation Services GmbH emphasise its commitment to flight safety by refining and specifying the standards for visual flight rules (VFR) and instrument flight rules (IFR). Especially in poor visibility, they offer additional protection for all parties involved and help to keep air traffic safe and stable.
This announcement comes into force on 28 November 2024 and cancels the previous regulations.
Source references:
NFL (the link requires a subscription to Eisenschmidt)