Here's the Lowdown on 'Vertical Visibility'

During any flight, a pilot will encounter several different flavors of visibility.

Scott Dennstaedt, Ph.D

Monday, February 26, 2024 at 12:59 PM ET

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FLYING contributor Scott Dennstaedt poses the question: Is vertical visibility even a legitimate visibility? [iStock]

Key Takeaways:

Vertical Visibility (VV) is not a true measure of visibility but indicates the vertical distance one can see into an "indefinite ceiling," meaning the sky is completely obscured by phenomena like fog or precipitation.
Automated observing systems report VV when their laser ceilometers detect diffused backscatter from moisture, preventing the identification of a distinct cloud base, unlike a "definite ceiling."
VV conditions are consistently paired with low surface visibility and low/very low Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) categories, posing challenges for instrument approaches and circle-to-land maneuvers due to restricted air-to-ground visibility and slower improvement of weather conditions.

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During any flight, a pilot will encounter several different flavors of visibility. This includes flight visibility, ground visibility, prevailing visibility, tower visibility, runway visual range, and vertical visibility.

But wait, is vertical visibility even a legitimate visibility? Actually, it’s a bit of a misnomer and not a true measure of visibility in the traditional sense. Vertical visibility is a close cousin to ceiling. That is, it represents the distance in feet a person can see vertically from the surface of the Earth into an obscuring phenomenon, or what is called an indefinite ceiling. What isn’t obvious is how vertical visibility is determined, and how this is different from a definite ceiling.