What alternate weather minima is required for an airport that has a single precision approach procedure?

(a) Information required. Unless otherwise authorized by ATC, each person filing an IFR flight plan must include in it the following information:

(1) Information required under § 91.153 (a) of this part;

(2) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, an alternate airport.

(b) Paragraph (a)(2) of this section does not apply if :

(1) Part 97 of this chapter prescribes a standard instrument approach procedure to, or a special instrument approach procedure has been issued by the Administrator to the operator for, the first airport of intended landing; and

(2) Appropriate weather reports or weather forecasts, or a combination of them, indicate the following:

(i) For aircraft other than helicopters. For at least 1 hour before and for 1 hour after the estimated time of arrival, the ceiling will be at least 2,000 feet above the airport elevation and the visibility will be at least 3 statute miles.

(ii) For helicopters. At the estimated time of arrival and for 1 hour after the estimated time of arrival, the ceiling will be at least 1,000 feet above the airport elevation, or at least 400 feet above the lowest applicable approach minima, whichever is higher, and the visibility will be at least 2 statute miles.

(c) IFR alternate airport weather minima. Unless otherwise authorized by the Administrator, no person may include an alternate airport in an IFR flight plan unless appropriate weather reports or weather forecasts, or a combination of them, indicate that, at the estimated time of arrival at the alternate airport, the ceiling and visibility at that airport will be at or above the following weather minima:

(1) If an instrument approach procedure has been published in part 97 of this chapter, or a special instrument approach procedure has been issued by the Administrator to the operator, for that airport, the following minima:

(i) For aircraft other than helicopters: The alternate airport minima specified in that procedure, or if none are specified the following standard approach minima:

(A) For a precision approach procedure. Ceiling 600 feet and visibility 2 statute miles.

(B) For a nonprecision approach procedure. Ceiling 800 feet and visibility 2 statute miles.

(ii) For helicopters: Ceiling 200 feet above the minimum for the approach to be flown, and visibility at least 1 statute mile but never less than the minimum visibility for the approach to be flown, and

(2) If no instrument approach procedure has been published in part 97 of this chapter and no special instrument approach procedure has been issued by the Administrator to the operator, for the alternate airport, the ceiling and visibility minima are those allowing descent from the MEA, approach, and landing under basic VFR.

(d) Cancellation. When a flight plan has been activated, the pilot in command, upon canceling or completing the flight under the flight plan, shall notify an FAA Flight Service Station or ATC facility.

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(a) No person may operate a civil aircraft under IFR using the VOR system of radio navigation unless the VOR equipment of that aircraft -

(1) Is maintained, checked, and inspected under an approved procedure; or

(2) Has been operationally checked within the preceding 30 days, and was found to be within the limits of the permissible indicated bearing error set forth in paragraph (b) or (c) of this section.

(b) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, each person conducting a VOR check under paragraph (a)(2) of this section shall -

(1) Use, at the airport of intended departure, an FAA-operated or approved test signal or a test signal radiated by a certificated and appropriately rated radio repair station or, outside the United States, a test signal operated or approved by an appropriate authority to check the VOR equipment (the maximum permissible indicated bearing error is plus or minus 4 degrees); or

(2) Use, at the airport of intended departure, a point on the airport surface designated as a VOR system checkpoint by the Administrator, or, outside the United States, by an appropriate authority (the maximum permissible bearing error is plus or minus 4 degrees);

(3) If neither a test signal nor a designated checkpoint on the surface is available, use an airborne checkpoint designated by the Administrator or, outside the United States, by an appropriate authority (the maximum permissible bearing error is plus or minus 6 degrees); or

(4) If no check signal or point is available, while in flight -

(i) Select a VOR radial that lies along the centerline of an established VOR airway;

(ii) Select a prominent ground point along the selected radial preferably more than 20 nautical miles from the VOR ground facility and maneuver the aircraft directly over the point at a reasonably low altitude; and

(iii) Note the VOR bearing indicated by the receiver when over the ground point (the maximum permissible variation between the published radial and the indicated bearing is 6 degrees).

(c) If dual system VOR (units independent of each other except for the antenna) is installed in the aircraft, the person checking the equipment may check one system against the other in place of the check procedures specified in paragraph (b) of this section. Both systems shall be tuned to the same VOR ground facility and note the indicated bearings to that station. The maximum permissible variation between the two indicated bearings is 4 degrees.

(d) Each person making the VOR operational check, as specified in paragraph (b) or (c) of this section, shall enter the date, place, bearing error, and sign the aircraft log or other record. In addition, if a test signal radiated by a repair station, as specified in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, is used, an entry must be made in the aircraft log or other record by the repair station certificate holder or the certificate holder's representative certifying to the bearing transmitted by the repair station for the check and the date of transmission.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 2120-0005)

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One of the most amazing accomplishments any pilot can achieve is flying inside the clouds. Being an IFR-rated pilot is a fantastic opportunity for your career, but that comes with significant responsibilities. When will an alternate be needed for an IFR flight.? How to pick an alternate.? What regulations are involved? Is there any easy way to remember this?

First, let’s start with the basics: § 91.169 – IFR flight plan. I know the FARs use complicated phraseology, and therefore we are looking to simplify and deliver the best approach possible. § 91.169 (b) states that you ALWAYS need to file an alternate UNLESS…

• The airport has an instrument approach procedure AND
• Appropriate weather reports OR weather forecasts, OR a combination of them, indicate the following:
  • 1 hour before to 1 hour after your ETA (at the listed destination), the ceiling will be at least 2,000′ AGL, and the visibility will be at least 3 SM. It’s called the 1-2-3 rule; this is the easiest way to remember this section.

What is considered an appropriate weather reports or weather forecasts?

Well, METAR is an observation weather report; meanwhile, the TAF is weather forecast observation of the field. For flights less than an hour, a current METAR may be used.

What if the destination has no TAF?

Although the Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) is preferable, the Graphical Area Forecast (GFA) can be used in its absence. Utilize the “Ceiling/Visibility” tab and the Zulu time sliding bar to determine weather conditions around your arrival.

Planning your IFR alternate airport

Great job, now that you understand when an alternate is needed. Let’s talk about the conditions an airport requires to meet to qualify as an alternate. Remember, an alternate is a plan B; a professional pilot always has a plan B. As a result, you must verify different factors before even attempt to choose an airport as an alternate.

1. You have to assess the field. Use risk management, and determine the best area to pick an alternate airport.

For example, let imagine you are planning a cross country from KOPF to KJAX. There are significant areas of thunderstorms north of KJAX moving southeast. Your expected time of arrival is 23:00 Zulu. Following the regulation § 91.169 (c), you will need an alternate because of a probability of low visibility is depicted on the TAF. You are a proactive pilot and always plan ahead of time. After reviewing the forecast and current weather, you determine the best possible option will be southwest of the field due to the potentially hazardous weather that exists north moving southeast. With this type of assessment, you can eliminate and narrow it to a small list of possible alternates.

2. Once you identify the possible alternates, now it’s time to determine if they comply with the requirements specified in § 91.169 (c).

• no person may include an alternate airport in an IFR flight plan unless appropriate weather reports or weather forecasts, or a combination of them, indicate that, at the estimated time of arrival (ETA) at the alternate airport, the ceiling and visibility at that airport will be at or above the following weather minima:
  • If a usable precision approach is available: 600 ft ceilings AND 2 SM of visibility.
  • If only a non-precision approach is useable: 800 ft AND 2 SM of visibility.
  • If no instrument approaches are available: Descent from the MEA and landing must be conducted under basic VFR.

3. In the real world, not all airports follow the standard minimums we just listed above here. If that’s the case, the airport has nonstandard alternate minimums. So how do you find those alternate minimums?

a) If an airport has nonstandard IFR alternate minimums information published, you will know by seeing a symbol that looks like a triangle with an ‘A’ in it on the Notes section’s approach plate.

b) To view the non-standard IFR alternate minimums information, you will need to go to the front of the TPP to the Alternate Mins Section (M1), then search for the airport, and use the notes for the desired approach.

c) If you’re using ForeFlight, you can click on the “alternate minimums” tab under “arrival procedures.” Sorted by city name, you’ll find the new weather minimums you must use to determine if an airport is eligible to file as an alternate.

d) Not all the airport are quality as an alternate, you will know by seeing an NA before the triangle with an ‘A’ in it on the Notes section’s approach plate.

RNAV approaches as alternate airport considerations

• (AIM 1-1-18, AIM 1-1-19)
  • GPS users (without WAAS) may flight plan to use GPS based approaches at either their destination or alternate, but not at both locations
  • WAAS users without BARO-VNAV may flight plan for the use of LNAV approaches at any airport, whether the destination, alternate, or both.
  • WAAS equipped with BARO-VNAV may flight plan for LNAV/NAV or RNP 0.3 DA approaches at both, the destination and alternate. (AIM 1-1-18)

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