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232 

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–24 Edition) 

§ 121.615 

§ 121.615 Dispatch or flight release 

over water: Flag and supplemental 

operations. 

(a) No person may dispatch or release 

an aircraft for a flight that involves ex-
tended overwater operation unless ap-
propriate weather reports or forecasts 
or any combination thereof, indicate 
that the weather conditions will be at 
or above the authorized minimums at 
the estimated time of arrival at any 
airport to which dispatched or released 
or to any required alternate airport. 

(b) Each certificate holder con-

ducting a flag or supplemental oper-
ation or a domestic operation within 
the State of Alaska shall conduct ex-
tended overwater operations under IFR 
unless it shows that operating under 
IFR is not necessary for safety. 

(c) Each certificate holder con-

ducting a flag or supplemental oper-
ation or a domestic operation within 
the State of Alaska shall conduct other 
overwater operations under IFR if the 
Administrator determines that oper-
ation under IFR is necessary for safety. 

(d) Each authorization to conduct ex-

tended overwater operations under 
VFR and each requirement to conduct 
other overwater operations under IFR 
will be specified in the certificate hold-
er’s operations specifications. 

[Doc. No. 6258, 29 FR 19222, Dec. 31, 1964, as 
amended by Amdt. 121–33, 32 FR 13912, Oct. 6, 
1967; Amdt. 121–253, 61 FR 2614, Jan. 26, 1996] 

§ 121.617 Alternate airport for depar-

ture. 

(a) If the weather conditions at the 

airport of takeoff are below the landing 
minimums in the certificate holder’s 
operations specifications for that air-
port, no person may dispatch or release 
an aircraft from that airport unless the 
dispatch or flight release specifies an 
alternate airport located within the 
following distances from the airport of 
takeoff: 

(1) 

Aircraft having two engines. 

Not 

more than one hour from the departure 
airport at normal cruising speed in 
still air with one engine inoperative. 

(2) 

Aircraft having three or more en-

gines. 

Not more than two hours from 

the departure airport at normal cruis-
ing speed in still air with one engine 
inoperative. 

(b) For the purpose of paragraph (a) 

of this section, the alternate airport 
weather conditions must meet the re-
quirements of the certificate holder’s 
operations specifications. 

(c) No person may dispatch or release 

an aircraft from an airport unless he 
lists each required alternate airport in 
the dispatch or flight release. 

§ 121.619 Alternate airport for destina-

tion: IFR or over-the-top: Domestic 

operations. 

(a) No person may dispatch an air-

plane under IFR or over-the-top unless 
he lists at least one alternate airport 
for each destination airport in the dis-
patch release. When the weather condi-
tions forecast for the destination and 
first alternate airport are marginal at 
least one additional alternate must be 
designated. However, no alternate air-
port is required if for at least 1 hour 
before and 1 hour after the estimated 
time of arrival at the destination air-
port the appropriate weather reports or 
forecasts, or any combination of them, 
indicate— 

(1) The ceiling will be at least 2,000 

feet above the airport elevation; and 

(2) Visibility will be at least 3 miles. 
(b) For the purposes of paragraph (a) 

of this section, the weather conditions 
at the alternate airport must meet the 
requirements of § 121.625. 

(c) No person may dispatch a flight 

unless he lists each required alternate 
airport in the dispatch release. 

[Doc. No. 6258, 29 FR 19222, Dec. 31, 1964, as 
amended by Amdt. 121–159, 45 FR 41594, June 
19, 1980] 

§ 121.621 Alternate airport for destina-

tion: Flag operations. 

(a) No person may dispatch an air-

plane under IFR or over-the-top unless 
he lists at least one alternate airport 
for each destination airport in the dis-
patch release, unless— 

(1) The flight is scheduled for not 

more than 6 hours and, for at least 1 
hour before and 1 hour after the esti-
mated time of arrival at the destina-
tion airport, the appropriate weather 
reports or forecasts, or any combina-
tion of them, indicate the ceiling will 
be: 

(i) At least 1,500 feet above the lowest 

circling MDA, if a circling approach is