IFR Alternate Requirement

Why are you trying to get out of filing an alternate? Is there some
reason that this is difficult to do for you?

I would suggest that you always file an alternate and forget about
having to memorize when, where, why and how. Much easier and
eventually may save you some confusing during a time of quick decision
making.

Greg


Roy Smith wrote:

So, it seems like I could file "HPN -D- BDR D/010 -D- BOS",
i.e. "White Plains, direct Bridgeport, ten minute delay (not sure if
I
got the flight plan symbol right for that), direct Boston" and as
long
as BDR doesn't doesn't require an alternate, I don't have to file one
for the BOS leg either, since BDR is my "first airport of intended
landing".

"gregscheetah" wrote in
ups.com:

Why are you trying to get out of filing an alternate? Is there some
reason that this is difficult to do for you?

I would suggest that you always file an alternate and forget about
having to memorize when, where, why and how. Much easier and
eventually may save you some confusing during a time of quick decision
making.

Filing an alternate shouldn't have any effect on your decision making at
the destination. Alternate requirements are for fuel planning only. As
soon as you take off, the alternate you filed becomes immaterial. ATC
doesn't know what alternate you filed, or if you filed one. When you get
to your destination and miss, then you need to make a decision on where
to go. You should have been keeping up on the weather at your
destination, your alternate, and other possible diversions. The
alternate you filed may not be the best place to go, for both weather and
personal convenience. Once you miss and decide to go somewhere else,
you're free to go anywhere you have the fuel to get to, and ATC will ask
you your intentions when you miss, having no idea where you want to go.
You now have to decide. If you want to blindly go to your filed
alternate without even thinking any further, you can, but make sure you
check the current weather first. I often file an alternate with no
intention whatsoever of ever going there.

--
Regards,

Stan

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." B. Franklin

Pilots do too many stupid things already that get themselves killed.
Requiring an alternate is nothing more than a simple attempt to make pilots
do something that they should plan for anyway. Even when I file an
alternate, I always like to have plates for another "personal" alternate so
that I have one more choice if weather goes bad at my destination.
I don't see why this reg should bother anyone enough to even bring it up
for discussion.

MJC

"Stan Gosnell" wrote in message
...
"gregscheetah" wrote in
ups.com:

Why are you trying to get out of filing an alternate? Is there some
reason that this is difficult to do for you?

I would suggest that you always file an alternate and forget about
having to memorize when, where, why and how. Much easier and
eventually may save you some confusing during a time of quick decision
making.

Filing an alternate shouldn't have any effect on your decision making at
the destination. Alternate requirements are for fuel planning only. As
soon as you take off, the alternate you filed becomes immaterial. ATC
doesn't know what alternate you filed, or if you filed one. When you get
to your destination and miss, then you need to make a decision on where
to go. You should have been keeping up on the weather at your
destination, your alternate, and other possible diversions. The
alternate you filed may not be the best place to go, for both weather and
personal convenience. Once you miss and decide to go somewhere else,
you're free to go anywhere you have the fuel to get to, and ATC will ask
you your intentions when you miss, having no idea where you want to go.
You now have to decide. If you want to blindly go to your filed
alternate without even thinking any further, you can, but make sure you
check the current weather first. I often file an alternate with no
intention whatsoever of ever going there.

--
Regards,

Stan

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." B. Franklin

On Fri, 13 May 2005 08:47:48 -0500, "MJC" wrote:

I always like to have plates for another "personal" alternate so
that I have one more choice if weather goes bad at my destination.


You don't need plates to have another choice.

If need be, ask ATC to read the approach. I'm not suggesting a
cavalier attitude about having plates, but no one should ever choose
to accept a less desirable alternative because plates are not
available, for whatever reason. ATC has all the information necessary
to follow an approach procedure, and they will provide it to you if
required.

wrote in news:gjh9811rc9iodvmua8f7ibbuqc83kotbci@
4ax.com:

On Fri, 13 May 2005 08:47:48 -0500, "MJC" wrote:

I always like to have plates for another "personal" alternate so
that I have one more choice if weather goes bad at my destination.


You don't need plates to have another choice.

If need be, ask ATC to read the approach. I'm not suggesting a
cavalier attitude about having plates, but no one should ever choose
to accept a less desirable alternative because plates are not
available, for whatever reason. ATC has all the information necessary
to follow an approach procedure, and they will provide it to you if
required.

A prudent pilot will have approach plates ready for a number of possible
alternates, but stuff does happen, and an airport you don't have plates
for might be the safest diversion. You can get it all read for you if
you need it, and by the time it gets to this it's reaching the emergency
level anyway.

--
Regards,

Stan

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." B. Franklin

gregscheetah wrote:
Why are you trying to get out of filing an alternate? Is there some
reason that this is difficult to do for you?

I would suggest that you always file an alternate and forget about
having to memorize when, where, why and how. Much easier and
eventually may save you some confusing during a time of quick decision
making.

Greg

I can see a couple reasons why one would not wish to file an alternate.
If I recall correctly, you must have enough fuel to fly to the alternate
and then 45 minutes beyond. If the alternate is say, 30 minutes away,
that would require an extra hour and 15 minutes of fuel. This could
affect weight and balance calculations and maybe the necessity to plan
an extra fuel stop.

Antonio

"Antoñio" wrote in message
...
gregscheetah wrote:
Why are you trying to get out of filing an alternate? Is there some
reason that this is difficult to do for you?

I would suggest that you always file an alternate and forget about
having to memorize when, where, why and how. Much easier and
eventually may save you some confusing during a time of quick decision
making.

Greg

I can see a couple reasons why one would not wish to file an alternate.
If I recall correctly, you must have enough fuel to fly to the alternate
and then 45 minutes beyond. If the alternate is say, 30 minutes away,
that would require an extra hour and 15 minutes of fuel. This could
affect weight and balance calculations and maybe the necessity to plan
an extra fuel stop.

Antonio


Your plan, then, if you can't make your intended destination if you couldn't
even make your best alternate (that you don't want to file for)?

MJC

MJC wrote:

Your plan, then, if you can't make your intended destination if you couldn't
even make your best alternate (that you don't want to file for)?

MJC

A few theoretical answers...

1. You might be able to make an alternate that would not qualify,
strictly speaking, under the rules as an alternate...say a private turf
airport 1 mile away from the intended destination. To file an alternate
that *would* qualify would require extra fuel that may not be desirable
or even necessary.

2. It might be CAVU everywhere in the world and you do not see the point
to filing an alternate that would require carrying the extra fuel and
doing the extra planning.

3.I might file an alternate, then decide to use some other alternate
which wasn't planned for. However, the fuel requirements to get to the
filed alternate and 45 minutes beyond would still be in effect.

4.I might be in a helicopter and not realistically need an alternate.

5.I might be in a float plane and use some known lake as a backup.


I hope you realize that all the above is just theoretical with a partial
tongue in cheek. Personally, I always file a legal alternate. I just
thought there might be situations where, for whatever reason, one might
not wish to.


Antonio

Antoñio wrote in
:

4.I might be in a helicopter and not realistically need an alternate.

Helicopters have the same alternate requirements as fixed-wing, except
that they only require fuel for 30 minutes after the alternate. Lack of
range does mean that a helicopter pilot has to plan very carefully,
though.

--
Regards,

Stan

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." B. Franklin