Preflight action, as required for all flights away from the vicinity of an airport, shall include

• A. a plan for diverting to an alternate airport
• B. a weather briefing
• C. a checklist of emergency procedures
• D. an alternate course of action if the flight cannot be completed as planned

Answer: (D)

Planning for contingencies is required whenever you depart away from the immediate area of an airport. Preflight action isn’t just about weather or a generic briefing; it includes having a concrete plan for what you’ll do if the flight cannot be completed as planned. That means identifying an alternate course of action you’ll take—how you would reroute, divert to another destination, or adjust the flight path to reach a safe outcome. This readiness helps you manage delays, weather changes, fuel considerations, or other unexpected factors without improvising under pressure.

Having a weather briefing alone doesn’t satisfy preflight action. A plan to divert to a specific alternate airport is related but narrower than a full alternate course of action. A checklist of emergency procedures is important, but it’s more about in-flight responses than the preflight planning requirement.