B1900A NEW CAPT ON TKOF WAS CONCERNED WHETHER HE HAD LEGAL VISIBILITY FOR TKOF AND IN CLB WENT THROUGH ASSIGNED ALT BY 1000 FT WHEN CTLR ALERTED HIM.

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THIS WAS MY 4TH DAY ON LINE AS A NEW CAPT. WE PULLED OUT ON THE RWY TO HOLD FOR TKOF CLRNC. TWR RPTED RVR AS 1800 FT. I TOLD THE FO TO TELL THEM WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR VISIBILITY TO IMPROVE. WE WERE ON RWY 32L AT OMA. ANOTHER ACFT CALLED AND SAID 'IF IT IS ONLY 1800 FT RVR WHY CAN I SEE THAT B727 DOWN BY THE OTHER END OF THE RWY.' TWR THEN SAID THAT VISIBILITY WAS 2 MI AND THAT THE RVR WAS DUE TO BLOWING SNOW. WE HAD ROLLED DOWN THE RWY ABOUT 200 FT. SINCE THE TWR SAID 'VISIBILITY' WAS NOW 2 MI I TOLD THE FO TO TELL THEM WE COULD TAKE OFF. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF AND TOOK OFF AND CLBED OUT. I BEGAN TO WORRY WHETHER THE TWR MEANT RWY OR TWR OR ARPT VISIBILITY. DUE TO THIS; MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED AND I MISSED MY LEVELOFF ALT OF 3000 FT. TWR INFORMED US THAT OUR MODE C INDICATED 4000 FT. WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND I DSNDED BACK TO 3000 FT. MY CONFUSION OVER WHETHER THE TWR MEANT ARPT VISIBILITY OR TWR VISIBILITY DISTR ME. IF THE RVR WAS STILL 1800 FT WE WOULD HAVE NEEDED A TKOF ALTERNATE; WHICH WE DID NOT HAVE ON OUR RELEASE. I BELIEVED THAT THE TWR JUST SAID ARPT VISIBILITY AND THAT WE WERE LEGAL TO GO. WE ALSO HAD TAXIED UP THE RWY MAYBE 200 FT AND OUR ARPT ANALYSIS WAS FOR THE FULL LENGTH.