Alternates
Alternates are required if, within ± 1 hour of your ETA, ceilings are < 2000' or visibility is < 3 s.m., or your destination does not have an instrument approach.
Selecting an Alternate
- If an alternate is required, they must be selected based on the following criteria:
- For an airports with a precision approach, the weather must be better than:
- > 600' ceiling, and
- > 2 s.m. visibility
- For an airports with a non-precision approach, the weather must be better than:
- > 800' ceiling, and
- > 2 s.m. visibility
- If an airport contains a negative A on its approach plates, then it has non-standard alternate minimums.
- In this case refer to the Alternate Minimums chart for the airport in the TPP:
- If an airport does not have an instrument approach, it can be used as an alternate if:
- A decent to landing can be made from the MEA to the airport in basic VFR conditions
- If the chart contains a negative "A" followed by "NA", then that airport cannot be used as an alternate.
- This may be because the airport does not have weather reporting
- For an airports with a precision approach, the weather must be better than:
Forecasted Weather
- TAFs are an acceptable source for the forecast weather minimums above
- If an airport does not have a TAF, graphical ceiling/visibility forecasts can be used
Alternate While Flying
- There is no requirement to fly to your filed alternate if a landing at the intended destination cannot be made.
- You can fly an approach into any airport, provided the minimums are higher than the approach used
RNAV Approaches
- When using WAAS at an alternate airport, flight planning must be based on flying the RNAV (GPS) LNAV or circling minima line, or minima on a GPS approach procedure