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2 Answers

Filing an alternate with no TAF for IFR flight plan

Asked by: 5715 views FAA Regulations, Instrument Rating, Weather

Can an airport that is not reporting a TAF be listed as an alternate if other appropriate  weather reports and forecasts show that the conditions at that airport will meet the weather minimums required to list that airport as an alternate?

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2 Answers

  1. Best Answer


    John D Collins on Jan 14, 2021

    Absolutely. Note that many non towered airports that do not have a TAF, have approaches which are usable as an alternate. It would make no sense to indicate that such an approach could be used as an alternate if there was a requirement that the airport provide a TAF. For example, at my airport, there is no TAF, but the two RNAV approaches are usable as an alternate if your aircraft is equipped to fly them. There are forecast products that indicate cloud coverage, visibility, cloud bases, surface winds and precip for an area.

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  2. Mark Kolber on Jan 16, 2021

    Let’s take a look at what the regulation says about the selection of alternate airports.

    “[b)appropriate weather reports or forecasts, or a combination of them, [/b]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:”

    See anything specifying it has to be a TAF?

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