What column 14 remarks mean when surface visibility is 5sm and tower visibility is 1sm.

Outline first, then the story

• Quick refresher: what LAWRS column 14 is for and how surface vs. tower visibility differ

• The central example: surface visibility 5sm, tower visibility 1sm

• Why the correct encoding is SFC VIS 5 and what that means in practice

• Why pilots and controllers care about column 14

• Reading tips and common snags

• A short closer with practical takeaways

Visibility in LAWRS, told simply

Let me explain it this way: in aviation weather reporting, clarity saves lives. LAWRS uses a set of columns to package what pilots and air traffic controllers need at a glance. Column 14 is the remarks field, and that’s where visibility notes land. Two kinds of visibility show up in certain LAWRS formats—surface visibility, the distance you can actually see across the field, and tower visibility, which relates to what the observer at the tower can perceive, sometimes a slightly different measure. When the numbers don’t match, the wording in column 14 has to tell the most important truth cleanly: what’s the visibility at the surface where takeoffs and landings happen?

Here’s the thing about the example

Question: What remarks would be encoded in column 14 if the surface visibility is 5sm and tower visibility is 1sm?

Options:

• A. SFC VIS 5

• B. VIS 1

• C. TWR VIS 1

• D. 5sm; 1sm

In plain terms, the correct answer is A: SFC VIS 5.

Why that encoding, exactly? Because column 14 is meant to package the surface visibility—a concrete, runway-usable number—the one that tells you what pilots will actually experience on the surface. Surface visibility of 5 statute miles means you can expect visibility as you taxi, take off, and land to be relatively clear. The fact that tower visibility is 1sm is not the core piece of information for the surface operations, so the most direct, unambiguous remark is “SFC VIS 5.”

Think of it like this: you’re driving in a city and there are two different front-door signs for visibility. One sign is at street level, announcing what you’ll actually see as you walk the pavement. The other sign is perched on a high rooftop and reflects a different vantage. For those on the ground — pilots and crews moving on the runway — the ground truth is what matters most, so the sign at street level takes precedence in column 14.

Why this matters to the people who rely on it

Pilots use surface visibility to judge runway conditions, braking performance, and approaches. If the surface visibility is good (5sm), a pilot knows the runway might be usable without extra caution for this leg of the journey. If the tower visibility were the lower figure and used as the main remark, it could mislead about what a pilot will actually encounter on the surface during takeoff or landing.

Air traffic controllers, too, rely on these notes to coordinate departures and arrivals, especially in windy or crowded conditions. A precise, single-focus remark reduces back-and-forth chatter and helps keep clearances efficient and safe. In practice, that means fewer misinterpretations, quicker decisions, and a smoother flow of traffic around the field.

A few practical nuances worth noting

• Surface visibility is the ground truth for what matters at the runway. That’s why SFC VIS 5 is the crisp way to state it.

• Tower visibility can still matter, but it’s a secondary lens. If it were critical to emphasize the tower observation, you’d see it clearly noted, but column 14 prioritizes the surface figure for general takeoff/landing awareness.

• If you ever see conflicting or confusing remarks, the safest move is to treat surface conditions as the baseline and cross-check with other METAR/TAF elements. Controllers and pilots will do the same in real time to maintain safety margins.

A quick real-world read—and a few tips for decoding

• When you skim column 14, look first for SFC VIS or SFC VIS XX. If that’s present, it tells you what the surface feels like right at the airport’s feet.

• If you see TWR VIS, that’s telling you about the observer’s line of sight at the tower, which can differ because of localized factors—tall buildings, heat shimmer, or nearby obstructions.

• If multiple numbers appear, interpret the surface figure as the baseline for what matters when taxiing, taking off, and landing. The tower figure is useful for situational awareness, but column 14’s primary duty is to convey surface reality.

A handy analogy

Imagine walking into a buffet. The sign at the entrance tells you how far you can see across the room (the surface visibility) so you can pick a table and know what seats feel like. The sign on the chef’s station might hint at what the kitchen smells like—a different angle, useful, but not what you base your first bite on. In aviation weather terms, the first bite—your baseline—nudges you toward safe, confident decisions.

Micro-tips for staying fluent with LAWRS remarks

• Memorize the structure: SFC VIS followed by a number (to denote miles). That’s the heartbeat of column 14 when surface visibility is the focus.

• Keep the two visibility types straight in your head: surface visibility (SFC VIS) for runway-ground operations, and tower visibility (TWR VIS) as a supplementary field.

• If you’re ever unsure, check the rest of the METAR/TAF for corroborating clues—wind, runway state, weather phenomena. They all play together to paint a full picture.

• Don’t assume that the most dramatic number is the one you should encode. Clarity and standard formatting beat drama every time.

A few natural digressions that still circle back

You’ve probably noticed how, in aviation, “less is more” isn’t just a saying; it’s a safety protocol. A clean, unambiguous remark in column 14 can be the difference between a smooth departure and a last-minute adjustment. And yes, there are moments when both surface and tower numbers shout different stories. That’s when teams lean on the broader weather narrative—visibility trends over the last few minutes, ceiling changes, moisture, and wind shifts—to guide decisions. It’s a reminder that weather reporting is not a single data point; it’s a living, breathing briefing you carry into every maneuver.

A short wrap-up you can apply right away

• In the scenario where surface visibility is 5sm and tower visibility is 1sm, the correct LAWRS column 14 remark is SFC VIS 5.

• This choice prioritizes what pilots experience at the surface—where they actually operate during takeoff and landing.

• Remember the practical distinction: surface visibility governs runway operations; tower visibility is a helpful, supplementary measure.

• When in doubt, anchor your interpretation to the ground truth, then layer in the rest of the weather story to complete the picture.

Final thoughts

Visibility is a deceptively simple thing to report, but it carries a lot of weight in the cockpit and on the tower. The exact wording in column 14 helps ensure that everyone—from the person taxiing a Learjet to the controller guiding a regional airbus—shares a common understanding of what the surface looks like at a given moment. SFC VIS 5 isn’t flashy. It’s precise, it’s practical, and it’s exactly the kind of clarity that keeps air travel running safely and smoothly.

If you’re flipping through LAWRS notes or revisiting how column 14 is used, keep this question in your back pocket. It’s a small example, but it crystallizes a big idea: when the surface is clear enough to rely on, that’s the line you print for the field. The rest can wait for the next update, the next observation, the next decision.