ever since I purchased MSFS in October 2020, or 2021 (I no longer remember), I have always wondered what that Alternate route was for, when and how to use it, and how to plan it on MCDU, without simbrief, manually…
And if i could use it to refuel the aircraft on ground along a long haul route (Ex.: a London to Tokyo on Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental or 787-9/787-10 Dreamliner with a midway refueling… What could i know, at Dubai…) and after proceed the flight without losing the planned flight, I don’t know how do you pilots call this operation…
Notifying that i am Xbox Series X version.
Does some one know anything about?
My thanks for answering
Alternate airports are alternate destination airports if for some reason you cannot land at planned airport for examples such as weather, traffic congestion, etc.
As @HamMan2118 stated, the Alternate airfield is used as a “backup” destination of sorts in case the aircraft can not land at its destination.
There are several regulations pertaining to it, its requirements, etc.
If you were to need a mid trip refueling stop, you would either:
a. File to your refueling field separately (in this case it would not be considered an alternate). Then file a follow on flight plan(s) for any additional segments.
b. If you had to divert to a fueling stop for unforeseen reasons once airborne, you would “change your destination” with ATC.
As for how to enter the routing in your FMS/FMC, it depends on how it is designed. Most “boxes” have an entry for the Alternate, and often have some method of entering an expected routing there.
This allows you to see how your fuel/time would work out to get you to your Alternate, if necessary.
This supposes that you go all the way to your destination first. You can always request direct to your Alternate should it become necessary.
1 Like
For part 91 (general aviation) ops, you have to file an alternate if you’re operating under IFR and the weather at the intended destination is forecast to be less than a 2,000 ceiling or 3 miles visibility within 1 hour prior to or 1 hour after the estimated arrival time. You must depart with enough fuel to reach your intended destination, then fly to the alternate, plus 45 additional minutes of fuel for cruise at normal speed.
Part 121 (airlines) is worded similarly and basically has the same requirements, but in regard to dispatching the flight.
Flying for a part 121 carrier may also have additional requirements for alternates and/or fuel depending on the OpSpec for that particular airline. It may also limit the choices of alternates based on other criteria deemed necessary by the company.
I took the question to mean “why does MSFS sometimes show an alternate route in gray on the WM when you lay in a destination and start point”. Because those gray alternate routes are generally about the same distance, I don’t see those as going to alternate airports since those grey routes still end at the same destination. I’ve never figured out what specifically triggers MSFS to show those gray routes and not plot them out the next time I do the same route. Occasionally I’ll click on one of the gray routes which turns it into the primary route just for kicks.
Regards
My understanding of the “grey” routes are just other possible routes to your destination.
So, if the option you choose for your routing (let’s say, Low Altitude airways) has several possible airways that get you to your destination, it offers more than one.
I don’t use the MSFS planning tools, but that’s how I understand them to work.
1 Like