Alternate Airport Alternatives

A favorite IPC question: When is an alternate required? The answer: Always. But like most rules, there is an exception. In a style only a bureaucrat can appreciate, the exception is listed before the rule.

jmiller

Tuesday, July 29, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

An eleventh-hour proposal by Rep. Bill Shuster to remove air traffic control from the FAA and place it under the jurisdiction of the Transportation Department was dropped after an outcry by GA pilots. NATCA

Key Takeaways:

An alternate airport and associated fuel are legally required for IFR flights unless the destination's weather (1 hour before/after ETA) meets the "1-2-3 rule" (2000-foot ceiling and 3 statute miles visibility with an instrument approach).
Alternate airports must meet specific weather minimums (e.g., 600-2 for precision, 800-2 for non-precision, or non-standard minimums) and service requirements, with GPS navigator type influencing RNAV approach planning for both destination and alternate.
The article distinguishes between a "legal alternate" filed for regulatory compliance and a "practical alternate" a pilot may choose in-flight based on real-time conditions, fuel savings, and available services, which ATC is not automatically notified of.
Pilots are encouraged to exercise good judgment beyond minimum regulations, using real-time weather data for safer in-flight decisions, and can communicate practical alternate intentions to ATC via flight plan remarks.

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A favorite IPC question: “When is an alternate required?” The answer: “Always.” But like most rules, there is an exception. In a style only a bureaucrat can appreciate, the exception is listed before the rule.

Prudent flight planning includes researching alternate airports. A flight might not end as planned for many reasons: mechanical failure, sickness, bladder discomfort, turbulence, enroute or destination weather and destination abnormalities.