Making your SIMBRIEF plans MORE REALISTIC by choosing the CORRECT ALTERNATE | Real Airline Pilot
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- Опубликовано: 16 янв 2024
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Hi Emanuel, great video and lots of good information on one of the more complicated aspects of IFR planning!
Regarding SimBrief's automatic selections, since there is often some confusion around this, I thought I could give some background on why it chose the alternates it did (and not the closer ones you manually chose afterwards).
To begin, it should be noted that the weather across Germany on the date of filming (January 15th) was generally quite bad at most airports. So this is a bit of an unusual scenario that led to SimBrief planning some farther alternates. Planning the same flight using today's weather (January 17th), SimBrief selects many of the same alternates that you manually chose afterwards (ex. EDDH and EDDV).
So why didn't SimBrief auto-select your custom alternates on January 15th? To go over them one-by-one:
EDDH: The weather was a bit too marginal for SimBrief to plan it, the TEMPO of 1200m visibility ended only 15 minutes prior to your estimated arrival window. Knowing that TAFs are not an exact science, SimBrief plans a bit more of a buffer than this, in case the weather ends up being worse than forecast (much as a dispatcher or pilot might do, though that comes down to the personal preference of the individual doing the planning). As you correctly point out, EDDH is technically legal, but SimBrief errs on the side of caution when it becomes too marginal like this.
EDHL: This airport has a runway length of 6,896 feet (which is below your "Min Runway" option in SimBrief's alternate options) so it isn't useable. This option can also be customized in SimBrief's airframes editor, since the default 7,000 feet is a conservative value and most aircraft can land on less than that.
EDDW and EDDV are below alternate minimums in the forecast arrival window (as you mention), so they are not useable.
In general, SimBrief is *more* conservative than the bare regulations when auto-selecting alternates, which is why it sometimes selects farther alternates than necessary. Basically, SimBrief gives you something legal and conservative by default, but it does not mean that closer, more commercially desirable alternates aren't available, as you have explained. This is part of the fun of flight planning of course!
Other factors SimBrief considers when selecting alternates include a preference for airports with multiple precision approaches to independent runways, and airports within the same country as the arrival airport (to some extent at least). It also tries to avoid airports which are too close to the arrival airport (to mitigate the possibility that a phenomenon that closes the arrival airport would also affect the planned alternate). None of these considerations are required by regulation, yet they can sometimes be a good idea depending on the circumstances. Incidentally, some airlines often do plan a farther alternate than necessary (one that they regularly fly out of), rather than a closer one that has no company staff or equipment.
In closing, a few more interesting features that can help SimBrief users with alternate planning:
Above the interactive map, clicking the airports icon, then selecting "Alternates" from the drop-down list will display several possible alternate airports on the map. These airports are color coded green, orange, red, or magenta depending on the forecast weather during the arrival window. This is a great visual aid when manually searching for alternates.
Second, in the alternates section on SimBrief, the "Max Distance", "Min Ceiling", "Min Visibility", "Min Runway", and "Allow TS/FG" options are provided. They let the user control the actual minimums that SimBrief uses when looking for an alternate. The default values (600ft ceilings and 3000m visibility) are often too conservative, but this is by design, and they can all be customized as required.
Finally, a note about using 4 alternates: When finding multiple alternates, SimBrief will always place the farthest alternate in the first slot, which ensures you have enough fuel to fly to any of the 4 alternates. This increases the chances that at least one alternate will be far away, which requires more fuel in the end. Just another factor for users to keep in mind when trying to optimize the fuel load.
Thanks, hope this info was useful! If anyone has any questions about alternate planning in SimBrief, I'll try to follow up in the comments. Users are also always welcome to post any questions in our support forum: forum.navigraph.com/c/simbrief/37
Awesome reply, thanks for the great work on SimBrief, cheers.
That "TheUltraSecretPMDGB..." folder.... 😂
Also airlines like to divert to airports that are part of their route network. It makes for easier ground handling as there will be airline staff available or the agency that is contracted to handle that airlines flights. Also for fuel there will be an account already setup with the refuelling company, rather than having to sort out payments.
Yeah thank you man i was always realy cofused when simbrief gave me an alternate that was longer then the route itself like when i was flying a short 1h hop in poland simbrief told me that my alternate was in Frankfurt
Emanual, I really enjoy your videos....however, this one was mind-numbing. Of course, the general discussion of alternates is mind-numbing, so take this comment in context. Since I do this for a living (dispatch flights in the US...about 50/day) and living the nightmare on the east coast of the USA yesterday (16JAN24), I can speak with authority that getting this right the first time MATTERS. So my rule #1: PLAN for an alternate (ensure you have the gas to go there), then if you don't need it or want it...(a whole different conversation), remove it when you are ready to release the flight and you are SURE that you won't require it. There is no sin in having an alternate on your release that you don't need.(from a safety perspective). It is ALWAYS a sin to not put an alternate on your release when it becomes required and you don't have the gas to go there. Start with that mindset and there will be fewer mistakes. Oh yeah, and 300nm alternate for a 100nm flight? Not never, but unless you are flying a leg that is such a cash cow that it is worth spending the money on gas...it's never a good strategy,.
When I plan my alternates I just chose like a logical airport that’s not too far(max 30 minutes flight time away) for example flying from EICK(Cork, Ireland) to EPWR(Wrocław, Poland) I chose my alternates as EPKT(Katowice), EPKK(Krakow) and lastly EPWA(Warsaw) just because usually if I expect foggy conditions, due to the fact WRO, KTW and KRK are all in the south they may be experiencing identical weather. Warsaw is the furthest I diverted in real life flying from Ireland to Poland.
Flying to Ireland, there is Cork airport which usually is worst off, due to its main runway being always in a crosswind to prevailing winds, Shannon and Dublin have their main runways positions so that prevailing wind always blows as a headwind.
Recently we had a day where *surface* winds in Cork were 290 at 33 gusting 53, aircraft didn’t even fly the approach, they couldn’t get below 2000 feet, I checked weather in the area on approach was reaching around a 80kn crosswind at 4,000-5,000 feet. Very dangerous conditions.
Every flight diverted to Dublin, some didn’t even head for cork, immediate flight plans amended to Dublin, a handful to Shannon.
I would divert to Hanover because they make very good currywurst there.
Thank you for the video but when will the video about “the ultra secrcret PMDG B…” be out? ;)
Emis browser is already downloading the release candidate of the B777 in the background... ;-)
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
okay... time to get my own dispatch center^^
very useful video, i have not grasped reading weather charts i struggle with it, but getting there slowly
I'm glad I always planned my flights like this. Simbrief seemed off from the get go regarding alternates. I used to choose an airport outside of the weather boundaries, which varies based on the season and type of weather. Anyways just a few months ago started to take into account to what destination the airliner I virtually fly is also flying to so I don't end up on an airport at which the company doesn't operate at. However I have never had to divert so far.
Very useful and informative video as always. Some parts quite confusing re the miniums but again,throughly enjoyable.
Good vid theres no other chanel than make this type of videos with simbrief
Love it!
Thank you!
Well, I wonder what the UltraSecretPMDGB......is.
There are some LPV approaches with minimums as low as 220 feet above airport elevation
Can you fly this route sometime soon I really like these routes with the current weather we have in Germany right now😅
As an American, I can tell you we love making things complicated 😂
hahaha, I actually find it easier though than our European Type A and B approach thing.
@@A330Driver honestly, I find your arrivals a bit complicated. Seems Europe takes spacing to a whole other level lol
@@jrod_pilot_miami Yeah, it's basically procedures which require ATC service these days. I liked the old radio based procedures better as well, but RNAV is the future these days. They try to make every single meter of their airspace useable these days - but it works!
As opposed to the American STAR:s that spans whole states 😂@@jrod_pilot_miami
Great video as always, thank you, Emanuel. Do airlines use some kind of software for all these calculations? I can't imagine doing it manually like this as a dispatcher of a big airline... It would be great if you could paste here a link for the legislation where we can find these information.
Hi Emmanuel, the voice quality got worse (flatter?) in the last few episodes. The last one with better sound was "After a week on the FBW A320neo...". Any chance you could revert to the previous mic? Or is it caused by something else?
Anyway, the content itself is 5/5 as always, thanks for your videos!!
Hi, it’s the same mic, but it was connected to a different computer, though either copy/pasted settings. I’ll have to investigate that. Currently there’s one more video that I recorded with this method, the next will be better again.
@@A330DriverGreat, thanks!
I have been observing airline alternates IRL here in the 🇺🇸 for about 20 years. Most airlines have standard cities that can handle them if they were to have to land there. What do you think of the difference between the minima requirements in the USA vs Europe?
Do you know that you can get the real life route through Radarbox for US and European flights?
"UltraSecretPMDGB" wonder whats in that tab
Do you have the document with 'the table' available to share for us? Or can you tell us where to find it?
Can you drop the links of where you are reading this information from?
Why can’t airliners fly a RNAV (GPS) approach with LPV guidance when Cessna 172s with a G1000 or other suitable avionics can fly them?
Quick question: Let's say you took minimum fuel for a flight and on final approach the runway is being closed for whatever reason. How do you proceed? Would you fly the planned missed approach and then continue on your planned alternate route or immediately fly the sid from your alternate route in your flight plan? I already read that you'd probably be given quite some shortcuts by atc, but I'm curious what happens if you have to fly the full planned route.
In theory you’d fly the pushblished missed approach and then the route. In reality you’ll tell ATC where you want to divert to and after some initial radar vectors to get you clear of the departure airport and the traffic chaos that’ll emerge when a sudden runway closure will cause some chaos you’ll get a direct to some waypoint very close to the destination.
@@A330Driver cool thanks a lot! I'm really liking your more or less recent videos btw. I find myself doing really detailed flight planning a lot more because of all the background info you keep providing :)
Hi Emi!
I have long had an interest in the details of f;ight planning, but also know how easy it is to forget the details.
Do you know whether Navigraph have plans to automate your aternate airport determinations. Otherwise this is certainly a complex subject to remember for the occasional user.
Perhaps we will have to wait for the navigation data source to include digitally available parameters for the calculations to be automated?
Great video, otherwise. Many thanks.
Hello Emmanuel, thank you for the vids, just a couple of questions:
In vatsim if you want to divert:
1- does it need to be to the specified alternate in the flightplan?
2- ATC asks for a route from, I assume from your ppos, to the alternate, how do you file that? Because the flightplan is locked as soon as you are in the air.
1. Nope, doesn't have to be, you can divert wherever feasible
2. No need to file, they will tell you the route. I've diverted maybe 4 times now on vatsim and every time it was either an initial vector to a direct or straight direct to the first fix of the STAR into the diversion field.
1) You can choose any alternate you want, the planned one is just for legal purposes.
2) In the real world ATC won’t ask you for a route, they will give you one. In 99% of all cases after some initial radar vectors you’ll simply get a direct to the IAF or a waypoint close by on the published approach procedures.
Got it, thanks!
Do you know why here in Salzburg, whenever Lufthansa (commung from Frankfurt) diverts, they fly back to Frankfurt? Wouldn't it be easier to simply fly to Munich?
From a passenger perspective, I'd rather be returned to the departure airport on such a short flight. If many passengers can simply go home and return for a later flight, it's going to save the airline quite a bit in hotel fees. The flight crew may also be based out of Frankfurt, so they can finish their shift and go home instead of having to find transport from Munich.
Diversions are not just about shortest diversion times, but the commercial aspect plays a major role as well.
The plane is based at Frankfurt. If they bring it back to FRA that means it is available for the next scheduled flights. Also FRA is their main (okay, Munich is secondary, but still, let’s follow general principle here) hub, so chances are they will be able to provide better passenger handling from there like onwards transport, rebooking onto other flights, etc.
@@A330Driver Ah, ok, thanks, I just thought it's a little far considering a lufthansa hub is right next door, thanks👍
@@dc_cycling Thanks too
Are these FAA values
Those for the US are.
@@A330Driver will you do EASA ones?