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 alternate airport filing requirements (91.169) are primarily for flight planning, not operational execution; pilots are not bound to fly to their filed alternate and can divert to any suitable airport once airborne.
IFR fuel reserve requirements (91.167) mandate adequate pre-flight planning based on forecasts; while landing with less than the reserve isn't an automatic violation if planning was sound, fuel exhaustion or causing a "minimum fuel" emergency due to poor judgment can lead to severe penalties.
Pilots must exercise good judgment beyond minimum regulatory compliance in IFR flight planning and operations to avoid operational issues and FAA inquiries, especially regarding fuel management and diversions.

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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?