Under the 1-2-3 Rule, which conditions trigger listing a destination alternate?

Under the 1-2-3 Rule, which conditions trigger listing a destination alternate?

• A. The destination alternate can be any distance, limited only by fuel
• B. It must be within 1 hour flight
• C. It must be within 2 hours flight
• D. It must be within 3 hours flight

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that the 1-2-3 Rule determines when you must have a destination alternate based on what you can actually reach with your fuel. Under this rule, there isn’t a fixed distance or time limit to the alternate; you can list a destination alternate at any distance as long as your fuel on board (including reserves for holds and missed approaches) is enough to reach it. In other words, the only constraint is fuel endurance: if you can get to a suitable alternate and still have the required reserves, the alternate can be far away. This emphasizes planning for a viable diversion rather than sticking to a predefined radius. Of course, other factors like weather, reporting, and regulatory requirements for an alternate still apply, but the 1-2-3 Rule itself centers on fuel feasibility as the limiting factor for how far the destination alternate can be.

The main idea here is that the 1-2-3 Rule determines when you must have a destination alternate based on what you can actually reach with your fuel. Under this rule, there isn’t a fixed distance or time limit to the alternate; you can list a destination alternate at any distance as long as your fuel on board (including reserves for holds and missed approaches) is enough to reach it. In other words, the only constraint is fuel endurance: if you can get to a suitable alternate and still have the required reserves, the alternate can be far away. This emphasizes planning for a viable diversion rather than sticking to a predefined radius. Of course, other factors like weather, reporting, and regulatory requirements for an alternate still apply, but the 1-2-3 Rule itself centers on fuel feasibility as the limiting factor for how far the destination alternate can be.