Originally Posted by flightleader
From AKL (or SYD for the matter) going eastward, would you be using AKL and Tahiti as enroute alternate or you have some other airfield i between?
If Apia (Faleolo) and Tahiti and Kona are all available and suitable, then 1200 nm ETOPS will cover that triangle okay, and the great circle from Auckland to California is never more than 1200 nm from Hilo or LAX.
On Airliners.net somebody asked about nonstop AKL-ORD or AKL-JFK, and it turned out the dogleg to stay within 1200 nm added less than 100 nm to the trip, compared to the great circle. The critical point is the Hilo-LAX equipoint-- you can fly direct from AKL to there, then direct from there to destination.
But 1200 nm is conservative?
By the way-- Is the 10000-ft runway on San Nicolas Island out of the question as an allowed alternate?