Alternate finding tool (pt135)

[James331]

Hey guys,

I'm looking for a alternate finding tool, basically something where I can punch in my destination and it searches TAFs for a suitable alternate (for Pt 135).

Don't think foreflght or fltplan does it, anyone know of something like this, surely someone thought of this & made a tool.


Thanks!

 

[kgruber]

I just always used Lewiston Idaho. It ALWAYS has alternate weather, pretty much.

 

[James331]

Well if that was remotely near where I fly...

Anyone??

 

[FORANE]

Fltplan does offer some help. Have you noticed after entering a flight plan type, date, origin and destination, you are taken to the page where you select the rest of the required information such as route. Scroll down that page to below the banner pic of "sectionals" and you get:
Arrival Diversion Airports (includes Distance, Weather, Radar, Approaches etc.)Minimum Rwy LengthSearch RadiusApproach Type requiredFuel Type required



You can specify the above data and a list of potential alternates is generated. With one click of the color coded "weather" tab (located beside each alternate) you can view the WX for each possible alternate.

 

[midlifeflyer]

You can specify the above data and a list of potential alternates is generated. With one click of the color coded "weather" tab (located beside each alternate) you can view the WX for each possible alternate.

You can also view them as a group by using the "Dept/Arrvl/Alternate WX" input at the bottom of the planning form.

Yeah, it would be nice if some script would look at the weather (both TAFs and Area Forecasts), parse them and compare them with the arrival time and all of the non-standard alternate requirements in the AFD. Sounds like a lot.

 

[Zeldman]

My alternate finding tool is my dispatcher.

 

[James331]

My alternate finding tool is my dispatcher.

We're Pt135 on demand, single pilot IFR and on rather short notice, unfortunately we done have luxuries like dispatchers to do our flight planning for us

I really surprised that non of the programmers have made something like this!

 

[Zeldman]

We're Pt135 on demand, single pilot IFR and on rather short notice, unfortunately we done have luxuries like dispatchers to do our flight planning for us

I really surprised that non of the programmers have made something like this!

Same here. Pt 135 on demand air ambulance. Our dispatcher, or more accuratley, our initiate/respond officer and flight coordinator, was a 121 dispatcher for many years. After he alerts the crews, he is on top of weather, notams, alternates if needed because of winds or required because of weather, fuel needs and he will file flight plans since we are always GPS direct to, and he will have the weight and balance printed out. I keep reminding him that all of this is the pilots responsibility, but he just grins and replies that the pilots might not know how to do it. Too many times I am on the roll out after landing and the sat phone is ringing. It is "mom" checking to see if I have landed yet. He is a very good employee and I pay him bonuses that are equal to the pilots.

And yes I agree. I would think that there would be some kind of program that searches alternates close to the destination.