What is the minimum visibility for a pilot to receive a land and hold short (LAHSO) clearance?

• A. 3 statute miles
• B. 1/2 statute mile
• C. 5 statute miles
• D. 1 statute mile

Answer: (A)

The idea behind LAHSO is that, when you’re cleared to land and hold short of an intersecting runway, you must have enough visibility to safely see and judge where to stop and to notice any traffic on the other runway. The minimum visibility needed to be eligible for a LAHSO clearance is 3 statute miles. With 3 miles or more, you have a reasonable chance to spot the hold-short point and other traffic in time to comply safely. If visibility is below that, the clearance won’t be issued because you wouldn’t have enough visual reference to execute the hold-short safely. A visibility of 5 miles would also satisfy the requirement, but 3 miles is the minimum. The options of 1/2 mile or 1 mile do not meet the standard.