Suitable Divert Airfields
Operational Navigation
SUITABLE DIVERT AIRFIELDS
To be usable as a divert field, an airstrip must have at least 4,000 feet of hard-surfaced runway and
be listed in either the FLIP, IFR or VFR en route supplement. Consideration must be made as to the
seriousness of the emergency situation requiring a divert. An ideal divert field would be military, with
arresting gear, servicing equipment and personnel, security, etc.
Primary, secondary and tertiary divert fields can be identified and used in priority order depending on
how critical the emergency is. A "land as soon as possible" emergency, for instance, may require
you to land at a small civilian field with a short runway and few services. Divert fields will be
identified by a blue circle. A blue arrow with divert information will point from each turnpoint to the
nearest divert field.
Reasons that may require you to divert: aircraft system trouble, bird strike or midair collision. If
aircraft system trouble is detected, comply with NATOPS procedures first. Then decide whether a
divert is required. If you have a bird strike (or any midair collision), determine if the aircraft is
controllable. If controllable, establish a shallow climb of 5-10 degrees and slow down, following
NATOPS procedures for damaged aircraft. If the aircraft is uncontrollable, EJECT.
Always fly with the latitude/longitude of possible low-level diverts. If the low-level route does not
require all ten active waypoints, enter divert field coordinates prior to takeoff. This will provide an
expeditious initial steer in the event of a divert scenario.
(4-03) Original
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