How do I know if I need an alternate airport?

If either the ceiling or visibility is forecast to be less than 2,000 feet or 3 statute miles during that arrival window, you are required to file an alternate. Also, the destination airport must have at least one instrument approach procedure or an alternate airport will always be required.



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An airport may not be qualified for alternate use if the airport NAVAID is unmonitored, is Global Positioning System (GPS) based, or if it does not have weather reporting capabilities.

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Airports with alternate minimums that are not authorized are denoted on the approach chart with the “ ” designation and are not listed in this section. NA - means alternate minimums are not authorized due to unmonitored facility, absence of weather reporting service, or lack of adequate navigation coverage.

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The 80:20 rule means airlines need to use their take-off slots at least 80% of the time in order to retain them. A justified non-use provision will be retained to prevent airlines flying ghost flights.

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According to the Department of Transportation (DOT), there are tarmac delay rules that US airlines must follow: Carriers are not allowed to hold a domestic flight on the tarmac for more than three hours and an international flight for more than four hours, barring a couple of exceptions (like if the pilot deems it's ...

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Cities that have multiple airports often see more deals because airlines aren't just competing in one airport, but in the larger metro area as well. For example, Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Miami (MIA) compete for flyers—which can help keep costs low at both airports.

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Living near an airport can have negative effects on health and quality of life due to noise pollution and air pollution from aircrafts. The noise from airplanes can disrupt sleep, increase stress levels and lead to hearing loss.

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Download the Flightradar24 app. Open it up and click the location tracking arrow to move the map to your current location. You should see a plane (or many depending on your location). Zoom in or out to narrow/expand your field.

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To check-in and check bags at the airport, you must be there a certain amount of time before scheduled departure: Within the U.S. – 45 minutes. To or from destinations outside the U.S. – 60 minutes.

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Non-towered airports may lie inside or underneath controlled airspace. In that case, some or all aircraft arriving and departing require clearances from a remote air traffic control unit, such as terminal or center control, even though there is no control tower managing landings and takeoffs.

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This is the ol' 1-2-3 rule. There are a couple of gotchas. If your destination has no approach, an alternate is always required. Curiously, though, the alternate need not have an instrument approach if the weather allows a descent from MEA under basic VFR, assuming the airport isn't otherwise disqualified.

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