What is the 1-2-3 rule in aviation?

You need to name an alternate airport on your IFR flight plan if, for the period of time one hour before and one hour after your estimated time of arrival, the weather is forecast to include a ceiling of 2,000 feet agl and/or visibilities less than three statute miles (the 1-2-3 rule).



The 1-2-3 rule is a fundamental safety regulation used by pilots to determine if they must designate an "alternate airport" in their flight plan in case they cannot land at their primary destination. The rule states that if the weather at the destination airport is forecast to have: (1) 1 hour before to 1 hour after the estimated time of arrival; (2) a ceiling of less than 2,000 feet; or (3) visibility of less than 3 statute miles, then an alternate airport must be filed. Essentially, if the clouds are too low or the air is too foggy within that two-hour window, the pilot must legally have enough fuel on board to reach the destination, fly to the alternate airport, and then fly for an additional 45 minutes at normal cruising speed. This ensures that even if a sudden storm or technical issue closes a runway, the aircraft has a guaranteed, safe place to land without running out of fuel. It is one of the most basic "go/no-go" safety checks performed during the pre-flight planning process for every commercial and private instrument flight.

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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.

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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.

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Standard takeoff minima are one statute mile for aircraft having two engines or less and one-half statute mile for aircraft having more than two engines.

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If you obtain a standard briefing several hours before the flight or when the weather is questionable, it is a good practice to call an FSS for an abbreviated briefing just before takeoff. The FAA has established a universal toll-free telephone number for FSSs: 1–800–WX–BRIEF (1–800–992–7433).

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Flight times within the duty periods are restricted to a maximum of 8 hours for flight crews consisting of one pilot and 10 hours for flight crews consisting of two pilots. The 8-hour and 10-hour flight time limitations include any additional commercial flying performed by the flight crew during the period.

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When it is within your control, run, don't walk, to the gate. My rule: Ten minutes before departure is when getting on a plane is no longer within your control. It's better to sit or stand around the gate area waiting to board.

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They won the '1,500 hour' rule, flight time required before a pilot could be hired as a first officer at a commercial airline. This was adopted even though both Colgan Air pilots had.. more than 1,500 hours. The rule wasn't meant to prevent future Colgan Air disasters. It was meant to make it harder to become a pilot.

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(1) A rest required under paragraph (b)(1) of this section may be scheduled for or reduced to a minimum of 8 hours if the flight crewmember is given a rest period of at least 10 hours that must begin no later than 24 hours after the commencement of the reduced rest period.

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The first emergency code that you may have become familiar with is Squawk 7500. This code is used to indicate that the aircraft has been hijacked, and therefore requires urgent emergency support from both security services and air traffic control.

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The lowest routinely used takeoff visibility minimum is 600 feet RVR, which is about one-tenth of a mile. Pretty low. It's the lowest visibility typically used in simulator training for taxi and takeoff practice.

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A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), Also known as Notice to Air Mission (FAA definition), is a notice containing information concerning the establishment, condition or change in any aeronautical facility, service, procedure or hazard, the timely knowledge of which is essential to personnel concerned with flight operations.

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This is especially true for the critical aircraft – the Boeing 737-900 which requires a landing length of 6,800 feet under wet conditions and a takeoff length of 9,700 feet under maximum takeoff weight.

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