Standard Alternate Minimums

The weather an airport must be forecast to have at the estimated time of arrival before it can be listed as an alternate in an IFR flight plan, when its approach procedure specifies no alternate minimums of its own. For aircraft other than helicopters: a ceiling of 600 feet and visibility of 2 statute miles for a precision approach, and a ceiling of 800 feet and visibility of 2 statute miles for a nonprecision approach ("600-2, 800-2"). Helicopters use their own values. If the airport has no instrument approach procedure, the forecast must allow descent from the MEA, approach and landing under basic VFR. Charts that show a triangle with the letter A have nonstandard alternate minimums instead.

Source: summarized from 14 CFR 91.169(c).

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Glossary last updated 2026-10-28.

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