471 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 135.225 

conditions at the estimated time of ar-
rival at the next airport of intended 
landing will be at or above authorized 
IFR landing minimums. 

§ 135.221 IFR: Alternate airport weath-

er minimums. 

(a) 

Aircraft other than rotorcraft. 

No 

person may designate an alternate air-
port unless the weather reports or fore-
casts, or any combination of them, in-
dicate that the weather conditions will 
be at or above authorized alternate air-
port landing minimums for that air-
port at the estimated time of arrival. 

(b) 

Rotorcraft. 

Unless otherwise au-

thorized by the Administrator, no per-
son may include an alternate airport in 
an IFR flight plan unless appropriate 
weather reports or weather forecasts, 
or a combination of them, indicate 
that, at the estimated time of arrival 
at the alternate airport, the ceiling 
and visibility at that airport will be at 
or above the following weather mini-
mums— 

(1) If, for the alternate airport, an in-

strument approach procedure has been 
published in part 97 of this chapter or 
a special instrument approach proce-
dure has been issued by the FAA to the 
certificate holder, the ceiling is 200 feet 
above the minimum for the approach 
to be flown, and visibility is at least 1 
statute mile but never less than the 
minimum visibility for the approach to 
be flown. 

(2) If, for the alternate airport, no in-

strument approach procedure has been 
published in part 97 of this chapter and 
no special instrument approach proce-
dure has been issued by the FAA to the 
certificate holder, the ceiling and visi-
bility minimums are those allowing de-
scent from the minimum enroute alti-
tude (MEA), approach, and landing 
under basic VFR. 

[Doc. No. FAA–2010–0982, 79 FR 9974, Feb. 21, 
2014] 

§ 135.223 IFR: Alternate airport re-

quirements. 

(a) Except as provided in paragraph 

(b) of this section, no person may oper-
ate an aircraft in IFR conditions unless 
it carries enough fuel (considering 
weather reports or forecasts or any 
combination of them) to— 

(1) Complete the flight to the first 

airport of intended landing; 

(2) Fly from that airport to the alter-

nate airport; and 

(3) Fly after that for 45 minutes at 

normal cruising speed or, for heli-
copters, fly after that for 30 minutes at 
normal cruising speed. 

(b) Paragraph (a)(2) of this section 

does not apply if part 97 of this chapter 
prescribes a standard instrument ap-
proach procedure for the first airport 
of intended landing and, for at least 
one hour before and after the estimated 
time of arrival, the appropriate weath-
er reports or forecasts, or any combina-
tion of them, indicate that— 

(1) The ceiling will be at least 1,500 

feet above the lowest circling approach 
MDA; or 

(2) If a circling instrument approach 

is not authorized for the airport, the 
ceiling will be at least 1,500 feet above 
the lowest published minimum or 2,000 
feet above the airport elevation, which-
ever is higher; and 

(3) Visibility for that airport is fore-

cast to be at least three miles, or two 
miles more than the lowest applicable 
visibility minimums, whichever is the 
greater, for the instrument approach 
procedure to be used at the destination 
airport. 

[Doc. No. 16097, 43 FR 46783, Oct. 10, 1978, as 
amended by Amdt. 135–20, 51 FR 40710, Nov. 7, 
1986] 

§ 135.225 IFR: Takeoff, approach and 

landing minimums. 

(a) Except to the extent permitted by 

paragraphs (b) and (j) of this section, 
no pilot may begin an instrument ap-
proach procedure to an airport unless— 

(1) That airport has a weather report-

ing facility operated by the U.S. Na-
tional Weather Service, a source ap-
proved by U.S. National Weather Serv-
ice, or a source approved by the Admin-
istrator; and 

(2) The latest weather report issued 

by that weather reporting facility indi-
cates that weather conditions are at or 
above the authorized IFR landing mini-
mums for that airport. 

(b) A pilot conducting an eligible on- 

demand operation may begin and con-
duct an instrument approach procedure 
to an airport that does not have a 
weather reporting facility operated by