Readback: November 2021

IFR Staff

Tuesday, October 19, 2021 at 01:42 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

FAR 91.169 dictates that an IFR alternate airport is not required if the destination has an instrument approach and reliable forecasts unequivocally predict 2000 ft ceiling/3 mi visibility for an hour before and after ETA.
"Appropriate weather forecasts" for alternate airport planning are not limited to TAFs; other reliable sources like the NWS GFA tool are acceptable if they provide sufficient detail.
The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 did not implement a mandatory pilot retirement age for large Part 135/91K operations, despite legislative proposals; for example, NetJets currently has no mandatory retirement age.

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Need an Alternate?

I read your reply, “That’s Just Some Clouds” in August, to a letter stating an alternate was not required because the forecast of 1800 scattered at a nearby Class C airport doesn’t constitute a ceiling. I agree with that but my CFII says if your destination airport doesn’t have a TAF, you must file an alternate even if there’s a TAF 10 miles away predicting VFR weather. Is he wrong?