Selecting an Alternate Destination:
- An alternate destination must be first and foremost a location that could overcome the challenges expected or likely at your original destination
- It must be reachable, in that you have the required fuel plus reserves
- Sometimes a diversion could be required by an external source such as an unexpected airfield closure, making more than one alternate location possible
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Situations Requiring a Devision:
- Personal minimums exceeded
- Aircraft performance limitations exceeded (winds, etc.)
- Poor weather
- Airport closure
- Change in mission
Diversion Planning:
- Not every airport is a suitable divert
- When planning, consider a pre-filled out data card which includes:
- Airport name, including the identifier
- Airport Diagram
- Frequencies
- NAVAIDs
- Approaches available, if IFR
- Any unusable runways/approaches you cannot accept
- Services available (especially if this is a maintenance related divert)
- General performance expectations based on time/distance from destination
- Think fuel, time, etc.
- In the airplane you may be forced to make generalized calculations in the interest of time, but here you can be more accurate
- Ensure desired services (food, rental car, etc.) are available
Diversion Decision-Making:
- No one wants to divert, but proper planning provides a suitable option
- When you set your personal minimums for the day, ensure they incorporate aeronautical decision-making on when to accept a diversion
- Diversions need not be empirical, that is, they don't need to be quantified by numbers, approach speeds, etc.
- If uncomfortable with a situation, divert!
VFR Diversion Procedure:
- Note the time
- Verify the airplane's present position
- Determine the location of the new destination
- Turn in the appropriate direction to an estimated heading, taking into consideration: airspace, obstructions, and/or adverse weather
- Determine the distance and compass heading to the new destination
- Distance:
- Plotter
- Mileage scale on chart
- 1 min of latitude = 1 NM
- Compass Heading
- Use compass rose on VOR on map
- Distance:
- Turn to the compass heading
- Select prominent land marks to aid in flying the new course
- Compute ETE, ETA, and the fuel required to reach the new destination
- Contact FSS to amend your flight plan
NOTE:
When diverting to a nearby airport (25 NM or less) and fuel is not critical, make reasonably accurate estimates rather than performing actual computations
IFR Diversion Procedure:
- Determine new destination
- Request a clearance
- This is going to sound identical to picking up an IFR clearance (even though you're already operating on one) in air
- Execute new clearance
Diversion Common Errors:
- Failure to note the time
- Unaware of fuel before diversion
- Improper calculations
- Forgetting to turn toward estimated heading
- Getting lost
Conclusion:
- The decision to divert cannot be made too soon
- Many pilots have put themselves into avoidable situations by pushing a situation that they knew to be bad
- Consider flying into common divert airports before needed for an emergency or detereorating weather
- When traveling cross-country, it is recommended to carry extra closes/toiletries (bingo bag) to mitigate comfort-based delays when making diversion decisions
- When making alterations due to weather, lateral deviations of 10 or 20° of course made early enough can be made to preclude a full re-work of the previously planned flight
- Don't just select diversion options, ensure you're familiar enough with the field to ensure a smooth transition from the original plan
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