What weather must an airport report to be listed as an alternate on the dispatch release?

• A. Visual meteorological conditions only
• B. No weather requirement
• C. Minimums at or above derived alternate minimums
• D. Weather above 4000 ft ceiling

Answer: (C)

When planning an IFR flight, you must have a viable option if you divert, so any airport listed as an alternate must be able to accommodate an instrument approach and landing under the planned weather. The weather at the alternate’s ETA must be at least as good as the derived alternate minimums for that airport. These minima are the lowest weather conditions that would still allow you to execute an instrument approach and land safely at that airport if you needed to use it as a backup. If the forecast or reported weather at the ETA falls below those derived minimums, the airport cannot be listed as an alternate because there wouldn’t be a guaranteed landing capability. In short, the alternate is only viable if its weather meets or exceeds the derived alternate minimums.