Many modern airplanes can land in even the densest fog using their automatic landing equipment. They can even land in zero visibility.
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Since the minimum visibility needed for a manual landing is 550 meters (approx. 1,800 feet), pilots must rely on autopilot for the landing, according to Flight Deck Friend.
Planes can and do land during thunderstorms, but it all depends on the situation. Pilots will often use their judgment and experience to decide if a landing is safe or not while a storm is going on. The main risk with landing during a storm, just like with taking off, is microbursts.
' Company policy dictates that low visibility landings must use the aircraft's automated systems that interact with the airport's instrument landing system. This is the array of metal poles at the end of a runway that generate a radio beam for aircraft to follow.
Low Visibility Caused by Heavy RainHowever, to land the aircraft manually, the pilots require a horizontal visibility of 550m. If the rain is extremely heavy, visibility may reduce to below this level. This then requires the pilots to carry out an 'auto-land' where the aircraft touches down with the autopilot engaged.
For single and twin engine airplanes the standard departure visibility minimum is one mile. Many pilots flying under Part 91 believe using the approach and landing minimum visibility as a takeoff minimum makes sense.