I love flying, and have a great appreciation for anyone who can take a piece of machinery and navigate it through an active atmosphere while at the same time knowing you have hundreds of people's lives in your hands. Just couldn't do it. Pilots have so many variables to deal with...wind, rain, storms, ice and fog. The video below shows a Boeing 737 landing in thick fog at London's Heathrow Airport without visibility. You can hear the computer instrumentation guiding the pilot through the landing process. Amazing to see!
There are many rules when it comes to flying an aircraft under certain weather conditions. Here's some of the lingo.
Visual Flight Rules (VFR) - the pilot has the responsibility for seeing and avoiding other aircrft, towers, mountains, etc.
Marginal Visual Flight Rules (MVFR) - conditions between VFR and IFR. Generally defined as visibility between 3 and 5 miles, and ceilings between 1,000 and 3,000 feet.
Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) - the pilot may be in clouds, flying solely by instruments, and therefore unable to see other aircraft. The controller takes the responsibility for aircraft separation.
Low Instrument Flight Rules (LIFR) - ceiling below 500 feet AGL and/or visibility less than one mile.
Sounds like a topic for BTF. --Brent
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