FAA Announces Increased Flexibility for Alternate Airport Approach Planning
The FAA revised its policy regarding the use of GPS for alternate airport planning to authorize planning for non-WAAS GPS approaches at either the destination or the alternate (but not both). Primarily directed to the contents of OpSpecs it probably has broader application since OpSpecs tend to be more restrictive. The bulletin is here.
The existing policy required pilots and operators to plan an alternate with an IAP using used approach navigation other than GPS (unless the GPS used WAAS). The announced revision to FAA Order 8900.1, Flight Standards Information Management Systems (FSIMS), Volume 3, Chapter 18, Section 5:
- reaffirms that operators with WAAS navigation may have OpSpecs allowing for planning GPS-based IAPs at both the destination and the alternate; and
- changes the non-WAAS policy to permit non-WAAS GPS operators OpSpecs to permit planning for a GPS approach at either the destination or the alternate (but not both).
