Planning versus Flying

You are planning an IFR flight. Its a route you have flown many times before. You always file direct and most of the time the cooperative controllers give it to you. So you again file direct, toss in a nearby Class B or C as an alternate, and calculate your fuel requirements for a flight to the alternate. Youve met your obligations under 14 CFR 91.167 and 91.169. Or have you?

Mark Kolber

Sunday, February 11, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

IFR regulations for filing an alternate airport (91.169) are primarily for *flight planning* and do not operationally restrict a pilot to land at that specific alternate once airborne.
IFR fuel requirements (91.167) mandate *adequate planning* at the start of the flight, ensuring sufficient fuel for the destination, an alternate, and a 45-minute reserve, considering weather and potential approaches.
While landing with less than the reserve isn't an automatic violation if the initial plan was sound, actual fuel exhaustion or causing operational issues due to fuel mismanagement can result in "careless or reckless" operation violations (91.13) and certificate action.

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(Editor’s note: This is the first of a new article type we’ll run occasionally. We’re calling the article type, “Yes, You Can” or “No, You Can’t.” These articles will cover some commonly held misconceptions in the regs where you can do something you might have thought you couldn’t, or you can’t do something you thought you could. Please let us know what you think of this new article type, and if you have any suggestions for topics you’d like us to cover.)

You are planning an IFR flight. It’s a route you have flown many times before. You always file direct and most of the time the cooperative controllers give it to you. So you again file direct, toss in a nearby Class B or C as an alternate, and calculate your fuel requirements for a flight to the alternate. You’ve met your obligations under 14 CFR 91.167 and 91.169. Or have you?