Alternate for IFR

Tony4aro

Tony4aro

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Hi all,

I'm just finishing up my IFR training, and hope to do my checkride on tuesday. I was making a flight plan for the DPE, and I was wondering if there was a "Built in" way to show my alternate airport on the flight plan. I know that I can list the alternate in the "File a plan" page, but that doesn't add it to my map. I know if I was actually in IMC, and needed my alternate... I wouldn't want to be fumbling around, looking for it. Can we add a button to list an airport as the alternate? (where the info would be for landing/waypoint) If there is just something I'm missing, let me know. If not, I will add this to the request list.
 
Tony4aro said:
Hi all,

I'm just finishing up my IFR training, and hope to do my checkride on tuesday. I was making a flight plan for the DPE, and I was wondering if there was a "Built in" way to show my alternate airport on the flight plan. I know that I can list the alternate in the "File a plan" page, but that doesn't add it to my map. I know if I was actually in IMC, and needed my alternate... I wouldn't want to be fumbling around, looking for it. Can we add a button to list an airport as the alternate? (where the info would be for landing/waypoint) If there is just something I'm missing, let me know. If not, I will add this to the request list.
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Tony, would creating a second flight plan using your waypoints and the alternate as a final destination - then saving it and preloading it as an alternate flight plan in iFly work for you? I've done something similar for cross county trips to have pre-planned routes in place to deal with winds/imc.
 
mark.medic said:
Tony, would creating a second flight plan using your waypoints and the alternate as a final destination - then saving it and preloading it as an alternate flight plan in iFly work for you? I've done something similar for cross county trips to have pre-planned routes in place to deal with winds/imc.
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It would... but here again.... if I'm in actual IMC, and I go missed... I would prefer it to be already part of the flight plan. BUT.... not as part of the planned route. I don't write code (other than som embedded stuff) but I figured since there is a pop-up for waypoints/fuel stop/landing.... there should be an alternate landing option. it could then auto-populate the alternate option on the flight plan that is getting filed, and if the system sees you went missed.... it would be the next destination. Obviously it's not a deal breaker.... and I am enjoying using iFly.... but it seems like it should be a normal option, since it's a normal thing for an IFR flight.

I guess I should mention that my alternate would be in my actual GPS in the plane.... so it's not a huge deal.
 
Why not just add it as an extra waypoint at the end of your flight plan, after your primary landing site? If you decide you need to divert, just tap the Direct-To button next to your alternate. If you land at your primary...then your last waypoint just becomes moot.
 
Cobra said:
Why not just add it as an extra waypoint at the end of your flight plan, after your primary landing site? If you decide you need to divert, just tap the Direct-To button next to your alternate. If you land at your primary...then your last waypoint just becomes moot.
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I just tested this.... since it sees 2 landings, it has a pop-up when I go into the flie page asking if I want to do a partial filing. it will ignore the second landing. so.... it will be in my plan, but doesn't file as the alt. I guess this is a workaround, and I just have to do a manual input it as my alt in the document before I send it.
 
I'm not recommending you perturb anything close to your check ride, but once you're past that, you might consider other solutions.

I love iFly, but personally I find the flight plan filing function to be sorely lacking. I'm hopeful that it will be greatly improved one day, but in the meantime I file using https://www.fltplan.com/ . Yes, it's a separate tool, but after you spend a little time to set up your account and aircraft profile, the time it takes to actually create and file a flight plan can be measured in 10s of seconds. Once you've got your plan figured out and filed there, then you can quickly punch it into iFly, including one or more alternates at the end.
 
Tony4aro said:
...if I'm in actual IMC, and I go missed... I would prefer it to be already part of the flight plan. BUT.... not as part of the planned route...it could then auto-populate the alternate option on the flight plan that is getting filed, and if the system sees you went missed.... it would be the next destination... but it seems like it should be a normal option, since it's a normal thing for an IFR flight.
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@Tony4aro, here are a few thoughts:

1: I hope all is going well in preparation for your upcoming checkride.

2: Keep in mind that your filed alternate is only that, a potentially suitable alternate that you have studied up on ahead of time. It does not mean you must or will go to that location. In fact, in that scenario, you would only be cleared to the published missed or other procedure assigned by ATC. Therefore, you would be in error to proceed directly to the published alternate. At that point, in IMC, you would be negotiating your next steps with ATC. I do not often fly to minimums in IMC. For my typical flying, if it is that close, I'm usually already deciding on an alternative plan. Regardless, I think flying to your filed alternate is probably not as normal of an outcome as you might think for an IFR flight.

3: I think that @mark.medic has provided a good solution for you. You can easily load both your Primary and Alternate Plans into your Flight Plan so all you must do is press the Alternate Plan button to switch automatically to your filed alternate. It is super simple and already queued up for you IF you end up flying there after all. It will even show up as a gray course line on your map to show you that your alternate is ready to activate.
 
Adding it to the end of the FP works good except that all the Final WP instruments are messed up.
Another thought: Search for it early so it's in the History list. Now it's an easy find.
Good luck on the test.
 
Thanks for the info guys. So.... they bumped my Checkride last tuesday for a PPL student at the school... and he didn't pass. THen, I was supposed to go on the following day. (Bad weather) Then the DPE said he would come back Friday.... Bad weather. I'm going to start my Commercial training today.... and the DPE is coming again on Thursday. Yep... you guessed it... supposed to have rain and low IFR on Thursday. Can't catch a break on this. LOL. With that said... I went up the the chief instructor at the school, and did a "Mock Check-ride" with him. He said I was ready and didn't do anything to fail.
 
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