IFR Alternates with no approach
Hi All, just wondering if some of the wiser of the pprune community can help me out with this dilemma? I've been doing some IFR revision and cannot get my head around this one...
According to the AIP ENR 1.1 73 when an aerodrome forecast is not available or is "provisional" the pilot in command must make provision for a suitable alternate that has a firm forecast.
So therefore if I was to fly to Echuca, no matter what the weather is doing I must plan for an alternate as Echuca does not have a TAF?
Yet over the page it says,
For IFR flights, the alternate minima are as follows:
a. For aerodromes with an instrumnet approach procedure the alternate minima published on a chart
b. For aerdromes with an instrument approach procedure where an aerodrome forecast in unavailable or is provisional the pilot in command must make provision for a suitable alternate
c. For aerdromes without an insturment approach procedure the alternate minima is the LSALT for the final route segment plus 500ft and visibility of 8km
So why is option c. there? If you are going to an aerodrome with no published approach procedure then there won't be a TAF, therefore no firm forecast so you must have an alternate...right?
Other wise it reads to me as though on a CAVOK day a I can fly to Maryborough (VIC) with no alternate as cloud will not be lower than LSALT +500, but on a CAVOK day I can't fly to Echuca without an alternate because it has an approach but no TAF???
The only half logical answer I can see is that 'unavaliable' actually means that there is normaly a TAF there but today its not working so you need an alternate, but if there was never a TAF there in the first place then you don't have to worry about an alternate?
Any one got any iedas, or did option c. just get thrown in for the hell of it without anyone really thinking about it?