Alternate Requirements

[skyrider528]

If your destination weather is below alternate minima at night and is also serviced by PAL can you nominate an alternate that has suitable weather but is serviced by PAL as an alternate. This question was put to me at my last renewal and to date I have many opinions but definite answer.

[redsnail]

I haven't flown in Australia for over 10 years but I downloaded the Australian AIP for a laugh.

ENR 58.4.4 has some guidance.
58.4.4 Alternate Aerodromes - PAL. An aerodrome may be nominated as an alternate aerodrome provided that, where an aircraft is an RPT aircraft (excluding aircraft engaged in cargo-only operations or an aircraft below 3,500KG MTOW), or is an aircraft fitted with single VHF communication, the alternate aerodrome must be one which is:
a. served by a lighting system which is not pilot activated; or
b. served by PAL and there is a responsible person in attendance
to manually switch on the aerodrome lighting.

In the case of a non-RPT aircraft, RPT aircraft engaged in cargo-- only operations, and RPT aircraft below 3500KG MTOW, where the alternate aerodrome is served by PAL, there is no requirement for a responsible person on the ground to be in attendance, but the aircraft must be equipped with:
a. dual VHF; or
b. single VHF and HF communications and carries 30 minutes holding fuel to allow for the alerting of ground staff in the event of a failure of the aircraft’s VHF communication.

So, depending on what operation you come under depends on whether or not PAL is acceptable by itself. From what I can see, PAL is ok so long as you meet the provisos set out above.

[skyrider528]

Thanks redsnail

I have been teaching and practicing this stuff for many years now and thought I had a pretty good understanding of the AIPs,Orders, etc with regard to alternate requirements and then came a CASA FOI who seemed to have a different way of interpreting them. During my last instrument renewal he posed the scenario that I was flying from A to B at night. B had Wx below the alterante minima and was also serviced by PAL. My understanding was that I needed an alternate regardless of the Wx due lighting, therefore I could plan an alternate that was serviced by PAL provided the Wx was above alternate minima. We were operating as an airwork category flight and we could meet the VHF requirements set out in the AIPs. The FOI claimed that I could NOT use an alternate serviced by PAL in this situation. When I requested him to show me in black and white were this was stipulated, he refused to enter in to any further debate. So now I find myself not quite 100 percent sure that I am correct in my thinking. I dont want to get on the wrong side of the powers to be. Any further thoughts on the matter will be appreciated

[redsnail]

Looks like your FOI has got himself muddled up. Not the first time, nor will it be the last time..

Airwork category.
According to the AIP, it looks like you need 2 VHFs or 1 VHF + 1 HF and 30 minutes of holding. That's what I'd take. ;)

I would politely point him to the above reference and ask where the operation fits in.

[AerocatS2A]

Yes you can have PAL. For some reason there is a small group of pilots who think that because that paragraph is a subheading of "LIGHTING" that it only applies to alternates held due lighting requirements. I went through it in detail once and if you follow their thought processes to a logical conclusion, there are whole paragraphs in the alternate section that may as well not be there. In other words, the big picture doesn't jibe with their narrow view of that one paragraph.

One point against them that I remember is that when there is an alleviation of a requirement for an alternate that you are holding for a specific reason, it states that in the AIP. For example the requirements for standby power are relaxed if you're holding an alternate due to a lack of standby power at the destination, and it specifically states this. The PAL paragraph has no such limitations and should be read as a general requirement not one specific to alternates held due to lighting.

Having said all that, you'd be very wise to carry enough fuel to allow someone to get out of bed and manually turn on the lights if required.