What are the requirements for a LAHSO clearance at night?

The correct answer is C, which states that PAPI/VASI or vertical guidance is required for LAHSO (Land and Hold Short Operations) clearance at night. This is essential because LAHSO operations involve controlling the landing and takeoff of aircraft, ensuring they hold short of a specified point on the runway.

At night, visibility can be limited, making precise aircraft positioning more challenging. Therefore, having vertical guidance systems like PAPI (Precision Approach Path Indicator) or VASI (Visual Approach Slope Indicator) provides pilots with critical visual cues to help them safely manage their descent and approach to the runway. These systems guide pilots in maintaining the proper glide path, especially in lower-light conditions, and they enhance safety by reducing the risk of misjudgment which could occur without such guidance.

In contrast, while visual approaches might be helpful, they do not provide the structured vertical guidance that is specifically necessary for LAHSO operations at night. Other answers may lack specific requirements or have less stringent criteria for nighttime operations, which emphasizes the importance of vertical guidance in promoting operational safety during LAHSO.