What is a fuel-alternate?

rookie1255

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rookie1255
Forecast discussion says ceiling may lift up to fuel-alternate. What does that mean?
 

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Forecast discussion says ceiling may lift up to fuel-alternate. What does that mean?
Go into settings and try to find something like "auto-translate abbreviations" and then re-read the discussion. I suspect that there might be a typo that confused the auto-translate function.
 
I wonder whether it's referring to IFR alternate minimums. Ceiling might rise to the point that it can be used as a filing alternate, which actually is a fuel-based requirement.

That is just an immediate off the top of my head (or the other end) impression.
 
I agree with Mark. The IFR alternate is entirely a fuel-planning issue. The alternate really has no other purpose than to enter into the fuel computation. If you can't get to the destination+alternate+45, you've got a problem as far as the regs go.

As for me, not only do I want a LEGAL alternate, I want one that will likely work AS an alternate. If I fly to my home field NC26, I always need an alternate as it has no approach. Legally, I could file SVH (5 miles away) as the alternate, but if the weather is bad one place, its likely just as bad 5 miles away.

If I had filed SVH as my destination, the nearest alternate would be 20 miles away. So if I file to an airport without an approach I by regs need 5 gallons less fuel than if I file to one with an ILS.
 
I wonder whether it's referring to IFR alternate minimums. Ceiling might rise to the point that it can be used as a filing alternate, which actually is a fuel-based requirement.

That is just an immediate off the top of my head (or the other end) impression.
That’s the way I interpret it too.
 
Go into settings and try to find something like "auto-translate abbreviations" and then re-read the discussion. I suspect that there might be a typo that confused the auto-translate function.
The forecast discussion is not translated. That's the raw data. You can find the "originals" on weather.gov
 
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