GOM

Question 1

Define Flag Operations

Answer 1

Allegiant is authorized to operate to and from specific airports outside the 48 contiguous United States and Alaska, in accordance with the rules applicable to domestic operations.

Question 2

Flag requirements

Answer 2

1. The origin and destination airports must be listed in the certificate holder’s Operations Specification [C070] as a regular, provisional, or refueling airport.
2. Destination airports outside of the contiguous United States that are not located in the state of Alaska must be within 950 nautical miles (NM) from the territorial limits of the 48 contiguous United States. The territorial limits of the 48 contiguous United States include the territorial waters of those states (12 NM from the U.S. shoreline).
3. An alternate airport for the destination must be listed in the dispatch release:
   a. If the flight is scheduled for more than six (6) hours, regardless of the destination.
   b. For flights conducted to Alaska if the destination airport does not have more than one (1) separate suitable runway authorized for the type of aircraft to be used.
4. Certificate holders must comply with all regulations applicable to domestic operations when conducting operations in accordance with Operations Specification [A012].

Question 3

Alternate Airport Requirements

Answer 3

a. To designate an airport as an alternate, the dispatcher must confirm that the weather at that airport will be at or above that airport’s alternate weather minimums at the time of arrival at the alternate, using available reports and forecasts.
[14 CFR 91.169(c); 14 CFR 91.169(c)(1)(i); 14 CFR 91.169(c); 14 CFR 91.169(c)(1)(i); 14 CFR
121.519; 14 CFR 121.621(b); 14 CFR 121.625]
b. An alternate airport need not be [14 CFR 139] certified for ARFF capability, but must be suitable for company operations, including adequate runway length (as determined by airport analysis data), ground handling

Question 4

Takeoff Alternate:

Answer 4

For the departure airport, the minimum takeoff visibility authorized for the airport will not allow a return to the airport using existing navigational facilities and the pilot’s
authorized landing weather minimums. The designated takeoff alternate must be within one (1) hour flying time on one (1) engine in still air.

Question 5

Destination Alternate:

Answer 5

For destination airport, for the period of one (1) hour before the ETA to one (1) hour after the ETA at the destination, if the reports or forecasts, or combination of them, indicate that the weather at the destination will be less than 2,000 foot ceiling or visibility less than three (3) miles.

Question 6

Destination Alternate (Domestic):

Answer 6

For destination airport, for the period of one (1) hour before the ETA to one (1) hour after the ETA at the destination, if the reports or forecasts, or combination of them, indicate that the weather at the destination will be less than 2,000 foot ceiling or visibility less than three (3) miles.

Question 7

Destination Alternate (Flag):

Answer 7

a) [14 CFR 121.621(a)] If the flight is scheduled for not more than six (6) hours and, for at least one-hour before and one-hour after the estimated time of arrival at the destination of them, must indicate the ceiling will be:
i. At least 1,500 feet above the lowest circling MDA, if a circling approach is required and authorized for that airport; or
ii. At least 1,500 feet above the lowest published instrument approach minimum or 2,000 feet above the airport elevation, whichever is greater; and
iii. The visibility at that airport will be at least three (3) miles, or two (2) miles more than the lowest applicable visibility minimums, whichever is greater, for the instrument approach procedures to be used at the destination airport; or
iv. For flag operations with a flight time greater than six (6) hours, an alternate airport must be listed notwithstanding the destination weather conditions.
b) If the flight is over a route approved without an available alternate airport for a particular destination airport, then the aircraft must have enough fuel to meet the requirements of[14 CFR 121.645(c)]

Question 8

3) Destination Alternate (Supplemental)

Answer 8

1) For supplemental operations outside the continental United States, the flight release shall list an alternate for each destination notwithstanding the destination weather at time of arrival.
2) For supplemental operations within the continental United States, Exemption 10064, as updated, and Operations Specification [A030] permit Allegiant Air the option of not designating a destination alternate under suitable weather conditions.
For supplemental operations within the continental United States, an alternate airport must be designated unless the appropriate weather reports or forecasts, or any combination of them, indicate that the ceiling will be at least 2,000 feet above the airport elevation and visibility will be at least three (3) miles from at least one (1) hour before to one (1) hour after the estimated time of arrival at the destination airport.
The provisions of this paragraph are applied as follows:
a) Operations Specification [A030]: Supplemental Operations conducted between airports listed in Operations Specification [C070] do not require an alternate unless the weather is below the condition noted above (para 2). In this case, no notation is required to be entered in the remarks section of the release.
b) Exemption 10064, as updated: Supplemental Operations conducted between airports in the continental U.S. which are not listed in Operations Specification [C070] do not require an alternate unless the weather is below the conditions noted in Paragraph 2). In this case, a notation shall appear in the remarks section on the release when Exemption 10064, as updated, has been utilized.

Question 9

What are the standard takeoff minimums for the A320?

Answer 9

Standard take off minimums for 2 engine aircraft are 1SM or 5,000’ RVR.

Question 10

Are we allowed to operate with lower than standard takeoff minimums? What provides authorization to do so?

Answer 10

Yes.

Ops Specs C056: IFR takeoff minimums, Part 121 airplane operations. (see airport information)

Question 11

What are we allowed to reduce our takeoff minimums to?

Answer 11

Ops Specs C078: IFR lower than standard takeoff minima. Lowest authorized takeoff RVR 5/5/5

Question 12

What is our lowest authorized takeoff minimum for takeoff on JFK RWY 31L?

Answer 12

5/5/5 (see Jepp charts)

Question 13

What are the runway requirements when operating at RVR 5/5/5?

Answer 13

HIRL + CL (see Jepp charts)

Question 14

Is reported visibility or RVR for the takeoff runway controlling?

Answer 14

RVR reports, when available for a particular runway, shall be used for all takeoff operations on that runway.

Question 15

JFK RWY 31L has three RVR reports TDZ/MID/ROLLOUT. If reported RVR is 5/4/5, are we allowed to takeoff?
If reported RVR is 5/INOP/5, are we allowed to takeoff?

Answer 15

No / Yes
If RVR is more than 1600RVR
The TDZ RVR report if available is controlling
The MID RVR report may be substituted for an unavailable TDZ report
If RVR is less than 1600RVR
A minimum of 2 operative RVRs are required
All reporting RVRs are controlling

Question 16

When is a takeoff alternate required?

Answer 16

If the current departure airport weather is lower than the landing minimums published for the airport.

Question 17

What is required to list an airport as a takeoff alternate?

Answer 17

Must be within 1 hour from the departure airport at normal cruising speed in still air with one engine inoperative.
Must meet the criteria in Ops Spec C055 for filing as an alternate.

Question 18

What is the weather requirement at our destination airport to dispatch?

Answer 18

Weather must be at or above the authorized minimums at the ETA.

Question 19

The main body of the TAF for our destination airport is reporting visibility at the ETA of 1/2sm, however there is a TEMPO for 1/4sm. Can we depart?

Answer 19

Yes, exemption 3585 can be applied. Requires a second alternate.

Question 20

The main body of the TAF for our destination airport is reporting visibility at the ETA of 1/4 sm. Can we depart?

Answer 20

No, main body of the report is controlling.

Question 21

When is a destination alternate required (domestic)?

Answer 21

An alternate must be designated unless the appropriate weather reports or forecasts, or any combination of them, indicates that the visibility will be at least three miles with a ceiling of at least 2,000’ for at least 1 hour before and 1 hour after the estimated time of arrival at the destination airport.

Question 22

When is a second alternate required to be on the release?

Answer 22

When exemption 3585 is used.

When weather at the destination and first alternate is marginal.

Question 23

How is marginal weather defined?

Answer 23

A ceiling of less than 500’ above DA(H) or MDA(H)

or a visibility of less than 1/2 mile above the lowest operational approach minimum.

Question 24

How do you determine that the alternate listed on the release is legal?

Answer 24

Reference Ops Spec C055: Alternate Airport IFR Weather Minimums
We use the 1 NAVAID / 2 NAVAID rule to derive alternate weather minimums.
1 NAVAID: for airports with at least 1 operational navigational facility providing a straight-in NPA, or Category 1 precision approach, or when applicable, a circling maneuver from an IAP:
*add 400’ to MDA(H) or DA(H), as applicable
*add 1 sm to landing minimum
2 NAVAID: for airports with at least 2 operational navigational facilities, each providing a straight in approach procedure to difference suitable runways:
*add 200’ to higher DA(H) or MDA(H) of the 2 approaches used
*add 1/2sm to the higher authorized landing minimum of the 2 approaches used

Question 25

Would we use a different method to determine if the takeoff alternate or second alternate weather is legal?

Answer 25

No. An alternate is an alternate, we always reference C055.

Question 26

Can we apply exemption 3585 to a destination or second alternate?

Answer 26

Yes.
First alternate:
The main body of the TAF must forecast a ceiling and visibility value at the ETA for the first alternate equal to or greater than the C055 derived alternate weather minimum ceiling and visibility.
A conditional statement must not forecast a ceiling or visibility, at the first alternate ETA, that is less than 1/2 of the derived alternate weather minimum ceiling or visibility.
Second alternate: Forecast must indicate in the main body and conditionals that the forecast ceiling and visibility, at the second alternate at ETA, will be at or above the C055 derived alternate weather minimum ceiling and visibility.

Question 27

With 2 alternates listed on the release, what is the required minimum fuel (domestic)?

Answer 27

Fuel at time of takeoff:

* fly to and land at the airport the flight was dispatched or released, and then     * fly to and land at the most distant alternate airport, and then     * fly for 45 minutes at normal cruising consumption.