Alternate Airport listing

[EatSleepFly]

This might be a longshot, but...

Is there any kind of a "quick reference" sort of way to check and see if an airport is usable as an alternate?

Our dispatchers- unlicensed, of course- who file the flight plans, sometimes just pick an alternate seemingly out of their a$$, and don't seem to care or comprehend that it may not be usable at the time, or even legal as an alternate. Their flippant attitude about it when I tell them pi$$es me off, and I have no problem delaying the flight while I fix the problem (I'm one stubborn ba$tard, which I guess is good in cases like this). However, even though it is the dispatcher's fault, I am sure that I would be the one to blame for any excessive number of late departures, because that's just the way the world works. Of course I have accepted this, and now I am trying to find a solution (other than bringing it up to the CP/DO or teaching the dispatchers how to pick alternates).

So, I was just wondering if there was some way (websites, etc.) to check that was quicker than going out to the airplane, looking it up in the Jepps, and then if need be, coming back in and calling FSS to change it.

Maybe it is anal, I don't know. All I know is, while it's a good company, no company is worth my certificates or a violation.

Thanks!

 

[Swamp Fox]

Many websites, including AOPA and Fltplan.com, now allow you to view NOS approach plates. This would provide the info you seek.

S.F.

 

[Singlecoil]

Do you guy use the 400 and 1 or 200 and a half rules? That seems pretty straight forward. If you are flying the same routes, you'll get those memorized pretty quickly for the alternates they commonly use.

 

[dispatchguy]

The selected alternate is NOT forwarded to ATC as a part of your flight plan strip when it is sent to ATC, unless you are using the ICAO filing format, which we dont use domestically (thank God)One fix - require a certificate, or an actual training program that covers this.

Singlecoil - they only use the 400-1 200-1/2 rule if they have OpSpecs C55 issued...

 

[EatSleepFly]

Yeah, we have C055 (400 and 1 or 200 and 1/2 rule).

Thanks for the responses, guys. I know that ATC doesn't see our filed alternate, I just want to be legal. Maybe it's not a huge deal, I don't know, but it's an FAR and the fewer that are broken, the lower the risk of getting a violation for something stupid.

We don't fly any regular routes, it's all on-demand. There are some airport pairs (or sets) that we fly fairly regularly, and those aren't a problem. It's just that often I'll get sent to some airport in South Nowhere and they'll just file the neighboring hole of an airport as an alternate.

I guess I'll bring it up at the next meeting, otherwise just keep fixing it myself. The online NOS plates is a good idea, that will eliminate having to run out to the airplane to check the Jepps. Thanks!