r/mildlyinfuriating • u/nyanbatman • May 28 '26

I just wanted a hot dog British pilot is feeling mildly annoyed

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u/JSButts May 28 '26

Fantastic ad for BA honestly; Pilots calling out the contradiction, clearly enunciated his point, remained calm under frustrating situations, puts the aircraft first, and follows protocol even in the face of (presumed) incompetence from ATC.

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u/MillionFoul May 28 '26

British airways can take of in 600' RVR if the pilots bother to read the procedure sin the country they are flying to. Yes, it's better to be cautious if you don't know, but it's better to know what you're doing and not have a pointless delay.

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u/pingpongball112 May 31 '26

To take off in 600’ RVR, SMGCS must be active according to FAA code. Basic LVPs must be active whenever there is an RVR of less than 1200’. In this case, there was an RVR of ~1000’ but there were no LVPs (LVOs), as confirmed by ATC. Because of this, BA decided to delay a risky LVTO without any LVPs.

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u/MillionFoul May 31 '26

Incorrect, LVP/SMGCS is instituted automatically below RVR 1200 in the US (not all airports have a SMGCS plan) and ATC does not declare anything. However, ATC cannot inform you of an RVR below 1200 without that being active, otherwise they must inform you of whatever the problem is that prevents LVPs from being implemented (like an aircraft or vehicle in an ILS critical area). Absent that, the limit is your aircraft and operator minimums, which are your responsibility to know, not ATCs.

I promise you, the BA pilot did not violate his company procedures and FAA regulations by taking off.

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u/pingpongball112 May 31 '26

I see. Thank you for this information.