Flight under instrument flight rules (IFR) is largely procedural. Theres little room or tolerance for zany spontaneity so, if you love surprises, look elsewhere. But although we fly by the book, when the plot thickens, we do in fact have options (although theyre more like regulatory provisions) for choosing a different ending. Usually, the thickening agent affecting our best-laid plans is weather-related. Before we can exercise that freedom of choice, however, IFR pilots must fulfill certain obligations. Some of these rules are similar to those for VFR flight, such as how much fuel we should have on board. Some, however, go literally a step beyond, such as the requirement for specifying an alternate destination (as well as hopefully having some rough plan for getting there). The idea of even thinking of an 288
Flight Landing Alternates Made Easy
Flight under instrument flight rules (IFR) is largely procedural. Theres little room or tolerance for zany spontaneity so, if you love surprises, look elsewhere. But although we fly by the book, when the plot thickens, we do in fact have options (although theyre more like regulatory provisions) for choosing a different ending. Usually, the thickening agent affecting our best-laid plans is weather-related. Before we can exercise that freedom of choice, however, IFR pilots must fulfill certain obligations. Some of these rules are similar to those for VFR flight, such as how much fuel we should have on board. Some, however, go literally a step beyond, such as the requirement for specifying an alternate destination (as well as hopefully having some rough plan for getting there). The idea of even thinking of an alternate airport may be foreign for some newly anointed VFR pilots, but in the IFR world, its a well-known commodity.
Key Takeaways:
- IFR flight planning is highly procedural, with a strong emphasis on preparing for weather deviations by designating an alternate airport when destination forecasts fall below specific minimums.
- Pilots must adhere to FAA regulations, including the "1-2-3 rule" for determining if an alternate is required (forecast ceiling < 2000 ft and/or visibility < 3 sm one hour before/after ETA) and the "602/802 rule" for the alternate's planning minimums (600 ft ceiling/2 sm visibility for precision approaches, 800 ft/2 sm for non-precision).
- Fuel requirements mandate carrying enough to fly to the destination, then to the alternate (if needed), plus an additional 45 minutes of cruise, with a recommendation to strategically choose larger, well-equipped airports as alternates and monitor weather continuously for safety and regulatory compliance.
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