How do you determine whether an alternate airport is required for a flight?

How do you determine whether an alternate airport is required for a flight?

• A. An alternate is required when destination weather or conditions do not meet minima or when there is no suitable destination viability; selection must meet regulatory and company criteria with accessible approaches.
• B. An alternate is optional always.
• C. Alternate only needed for international flights.
• D. Alternate is determined by weather at origin only.

Answer: (A)

The essential idea is that you must plan an alternate if the destination is not reliably usable for landing. That means looking at the forecast and actual conditions at the destination and determining whether they meet the required landing minima plus whether there is a viable destination alternative with an accessible instrument approach. If the forecast at ETA indicates the destination won’t meet minima, or there isn’t a suitable destination within range that offers a compliant approach and supports safe landing, you’re required to designate an alternate airport. That alternate must satisfy regulatory and company criteria, including having published instrument approaches, adequate runway length, and services to support the flight. The other statements don’t fit because alternates aren’t optional, aren’t limited to international flights, and aren’t determined by origin weather alone.

The essential idea is that you must plan an alternate if the destination is not reliably usable for landing. That means looking at the forecast and actual conditions at the destination and determining whether they meet the required landing minima plus whether there is a viable destination alternative with an accessible instrument approach. If the forecast at ETA indicates the destination won’t meet minima, or there isn’t a suitable destination within range that offers a compliant approach and supports safe landing, you’re required to designate an alternate airport. That alternate must satisfy regulatory and company criteria, including having published instrument approaches, adequate runway length, and services to support the flight.

The other statements don’t fit because alternates aren’t optional, aren’t limited to international flights, and aren’t determined by origin weather alone.