FAA Instrument Rating Airplane (IRA)Regulations and CurrencyMedium
A pilot is planning an IFR flight and determines that an alternate airport is required. The destination has no published alternate minimums. What are the standard alternate minimums the pilot must use if the destination airport only has a nonprecision approach available?
- A600-foot ceiling and 2 statute miles visibility
- B800-foot ceiling and 2 statute miles visibility
- C1,000-foot ceiling and 3 statute miles visibility
- D200-foot ceiling and 1/2 statute mile visibility
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. 800-foot ceiling and 2 statute miles visibility
Under 14 CFR 91.169(c), when no alternate minimums are published for an airport, standard alternate minimums apply: 600-2 for a precision approach and 800-2 for a nonprecision approach.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. 600-2 applies to airports with a precision approach, not nonprecision only.
- C. 1,000-3 is not a standard FAA alternate minimum.
- D. 200-1/2 is a typical Category I ILS landing minimum, not an alternate minimum.
Standard Alternate Minimums
When no alternate minimums are published, standard minimums are 600-2 for precision approaches and 800-2 for nonprecision approaches.
- 600-2 = precision approach available
- 800-2 = nonprecision approach only
- Published alternate minimums (if any) override the standard values
Memory trick: 'Six hundred, two, Precision too' / 'Eight hundred, two, Non-precision, true'.