IFR Preflight Actions (91.103): The WKFARTN Checklist, Alternate Minimums, Departure Procedures, and RAIM
Updated: Sep 26
Before an IFR flight ever leaves the ground, the pilot in command must complete a specific set of required preflight actions. These go well beyond a normal VFR preflight, and they're designed to ensure the pilot is legally compliant, situationally aware, and prepared for the dynamic IFR environment. The FAA outlines the requirements in 14 CFR 91.103, and instrument pilots remember them with the acronym WKFARTN. But the acronym is just the scaffolding — the real skill is in the details: selecting a legal alternate (and knowing the actual minimums), reviewing the departure procedure, checking RAIM for a GPS approach, and understanding what "all available information" legally means. Getting the IFR preflight right reduces workload in the air, where time, visibility, and options are limited.
This post covers required IFR preflight actions in practical depth: the 91.103 foundation and what "all available information" means, the WKFARTN elements, the 1-2-3 rule and alternate SELECTION with actual minimums, the departure procedure review the acronym misses, the RAIM/GPS NOTAM check, IFR fuel planning, and turning it all into a risk-management framework.
Study this full length lesson (video, podcast, flashcards, and quiz) here: Full Length Lesson >
The Regulatory Foundation: 14 CFR 91.103
The IFR preflight requirement comes from 91.103, and it's worth understanding what it actually demands.
The core requirement:
The PIC must become familiar with ALL AVAILABLE INFORMATION concerning the flight before departure
This is a broad, encompassing requirement
For IFR (and flights not in the vicinity of the airport), specific items are required
The foundation of preflight planning
What 91.103 explicitly requires (for IFR/not-local flights):
Weather reports and forecasts
Fuel requirements
Alternatives available if the flight cannot be completed as planned
Any known traffic delays advised by ATC
Runway lengths at airports of intended use
Takeoff and landing distance data
The WKFARTN mapping:
The acronym maps directly onto these required items:
W — Weather
K — Known ATC Delays
F — Fuel Requirements
A — Alternate Airports
R — Runway Lengths
T — Takeoff and Landing Distances
N — NOTAMs
The "all available information" standard:
"All available information" is deliberately broad
The FAA takes it seriously — it's cited in enforcement actions
If information was available and you didn't get it, you may not have met 91.103
A high standard of preparation
The enforcement reality:
After an incident, the FAA examines whether the pilot obtained available information
Failing to check a NOTAM, weather, or other available info can be a 91.103 violation
"I didn't know" isn't a defense if the info was available
Diligence is legally required
WKFARTN Explained
Each element with what the FAA expects and the practical depth.
W — Weather:
More than the departure METAR
METARs for departure, destination, AND alternates
TAFs covering your planned arrival time
AIRMETs, SIGMETs, and Convective SIGMETs
Freezing levels and icing forecasts
Winds and temperatures aloft
PIREPs (especially icing and turbulence)
The IFR weather questions:
Can I legally depart and arrive?
Will I encounter IMC, icing, or convection?
Do conditions support my aircraft and personal minimums?
Is an alternate required (the 1-2-3 rule)?
K — Known ATC Delays:
IFR flights are subject to ATC flow management
Ground Delay Programs (GDPs)
Airspace Flow Programs (AFPs)
Expect Departure Clearance Times (EDCTs)
NOTAMs indicating ATC restrictions
Check FAA ATC advisories, Flight Service, delay info for hubs
Why delays matter for IFR:
Delays affect fuel planning (holding, ground delays)
Can affect alternate requirements (if arrival time shifts)
Legality (fuel for the actual expected flight)
Plan for them
F — Fuel Requirements:
The IFR fuel rule (91.167): enough to fly to the destination, then to the alternate (if required), then 45 minutes at normal cruising speed
Beyond the minimum: account for holding, vectors, missed approaches, stronger headwinds
Add personal reserves for weather uncertainty
Conservative always
A — Alternate Airports:
Required unless the 1-2-3 rule is met (below)
If required: usable instrument approach, alternate minimums met, weather trends checked, fuel sufficient
Evaluate practical alternates, not just legal ones
(Expanded below — this is where the depth is)
R — Runway Lengths:
The runway lengths at your airports of intended use (departure, destination, and alternate)
Are the runways adequate for your aircraft, weight, and conditions?
Consider runway surface, slope, and condition (wet, contaminated)
A separate required item from takeoff/landing distances — first you need to know the runway lengths available, then compare them to your required distances
Why runway lengths matter for IFR:
Breaking out of an approach near minimums leaves less margin for a long landing
Contaminated or short runways compound the challenge
Know the available lengths before you go
Compare to the distances your aircraft needs (the "T" below)
T — Takeoff and Landing Distances:
The takeoff and landing distance data for your aircraft (from the POH)
Compared against the available runway lengths (the "R" above)
Critical for short/contaminated runways, high density altitude, high weight
Accelerate-stop distance, takeoff distance over a 50-foot obstacle, landing distance factoring weather and runway condition
The R-and-T pairing:
R (Runway Lengths): the runway you HAVE (available)
T (Takeoff and Landing Distances): the runway you NEED (required, from performance data)
Compare the two: is the available runway enough for your required distance, with margin?
IFR often means reduced margins — know both numbers
N — NOTAMs:
Runway/taxiway closures, NAVAID outages, approach procedure changes
Lighting failures, GPS outages or RAIM issues
Airspace restrictions
Especially: NOTAMs affecting your alternate, NOTAMs that invalidate an approach, restrictions near your route
The 1-2-3 Rule and Whether You Need an Alternate
The alternate-requirement determination, with the exact criteria.
The rule (91.167):
An alternate is REQUIRED unless, at the destination, from 1 HOUR BEFORE to 1 HOUR AFTER the ETA:
The ceiling is at least 2,000 feet above the airport elevation, AND
The visibility is at least 3 statute miles
The mnemonic: 1 (hour before/after), 2 (2,000-foot ceiling), 3 (3 SM visibility)
The exact application:
Look at the destination FORECAST (TAF) for the window: 1 hour before ETA to 1 hour after ETA
If the forecast shows 2,000-3 or better for that ENTIRE window: no alternate required
If it shows below 2,000-3 at any point in the window: alternate required
The forecast for the arrival window governs
The "at any point in the window" detail:
The conditions must be 2,000-3 or better throughout the 1-hour-before to 1-hour-after window
If the forecast dips below at any point in that window: alternate required
Not just at the exact ETA — the whole window
A conservative reading
When in doubt, file an alternate:
If the forecast is marginal, file an alternate anyway
It costs nothing (just fuel planning)
Provides an out
Good practice
Alternate Selection: The Actual Minimums
Here's the critical depth: if an alternate is required, it must meet specific minimums.
Standard alternate minimums:
For an airport to qualify as an alternate, the FORECAST at your ETA must be at least:
Precision approach: 600-foot ceiling and 2 SM visibility (600-2)
Non-precision approach: 800-foot ceiling and 2 SM visibility (800-2)
The memory aid:
Precision: 600-2
Non-precision: 800-2
These are the forecast requirements at the ETA for the alternate
Standard minimums
Non-standard alternate minimums:
Some airports have NON-STANDARD alternate minimums (higher than standard)
Indicated by a triangle with an "A" (⧊A) on the approach chart
The specific minimums are listed in the alternate minimums section
Check for the triangle-A symbol
The "NA" (Not Authorized) alternate:
Some airports are marked "Alternate Minimums NA" (Not Authorized as an alternate)
Often due to lack of weather reporting or absence of a usable approach
Cannot be used as an alternate
Indicated on the approach chart
No instrument approach at the alternate:
An airport with NO instrument approach can be an alternate ONLY if:
The ceiling and visibility at the ETA allow a descent from the MEA, approach, and landing under BASIC VFR
Rare, but possible
Specific conditions
The critical GPS/RNAV alternate nuance:
Historically, you couldn't plan to use a GPS/RNAV approach at BOTH the destination and the alternate (needed a non-GPS approach at one)
With WAAS, this has evolved — WAAS-equipped aircraft can plan RNAV (GPS) approaches at both, with conditions
For non-WAAS (RAIM-based) aircraft, restrictions remain
Check the current rules for your equipment
A commonly tested and evolving area
The alternate-minimums vs. landing-minimums distinction:
ALTERNATE minimums (600-2/800-2) are for PLANNING (what the forecast must show to file it)
Once you divert to the alternate, you fly the actual approach to its LANDING minimums (the published DA/MDA)
Alternate minimums are higher (for planning margin)
Don't confuse planning minimums with landing minimums
The Departure Procedure Review (The Acronym Misses This)
A genuinely IFR-specific preflight item that WKFARTN doesn't capture: reviewing the departure procedure.
Why it matters for IFR:
IFR departures often involve obstacle clearance in IMC (you can't see the obstacles)
The departure procedure ensures obstacle clearance
Reviewing it is part of IFR preflight
Critical for terrain/obstacle avoidance
The types of departure procedures:
Obstacle Departure Procedures (ODPs): designed for obstacle clearance (may be textual or graphic)
Standard Instrument Departures (SIDs): ATC-oriented departures (also provide obstacle clearance)
Review the applicable procedure for your departure airport/runway
Part of the plan
The "diverse departure" assumption:
If no ODP is published, obstacle clearance is based on the pilot crossing the departure end of the runway at least 35 feet AGL, climbing to 400 feet before turning, and maintaining at least a 200 feet-per-NM climb gradient
This is the standard obstacle clearance assumption
If you can't meet it (or there are close obstacles), an ODP may be needed
Know the assumption
The climb gradient check:
Some departure procedures require a climb gradient STEEPER than the standard 200 ft/NM
Verify your aircraft can meet the required gradient (given weight, density altitude)
A performance check
Part of the departure review
Reviewing before departure:
Check for an ODP or SID at your departure airport
Verify you can meet any required climb gradient
Brief the departure (initial heading, altitude, obstacles)
Especially important at unfamiliar or mountainous airports
The RAIM / GPS NOTAM Check
For GPS/RNAV approaches, a specific preflight check the basic treatment mentions but doesn't detail.
What RAIM is:
Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring
The GPS receiver's ability to detect a faulty satellite signal
Required for GPS approaches (for non-WAAS receivers)
Ensures GPS integrity
The RAIM prediction requirement:
For non-WAAS GPS receivers, RAIM availability must be checked before an IFR flight relying on GPS
RAIM can be unavailable at certain times/locations (satellite geometry)
Check a RAIM prediction (via Flight Service, online tools, or the receiver)
Ensures RAIM will be available for the approach
The WAAS difference:
WAAS-equipped aircraft generally don't need a RAIM check (WAAS provides the integrity)
WAAS receivers have better integrity monitoring
The RAIM check is primarily for non-WAAS (TSO-C129) receivers
Know your equipment
GPS NOTAMs:
Check NOTAMs for GPS outages or testing (military GPS jamming tests are common)
A GPS NOTAM may indicate GPS unreliability in an area
Could affect your GPS approach
Part of the NOTAM review
The practical check:
For a non-WAAS GPS approach: check RAIM availability
Check GPS NOTAMs for outages/testing
Have a backup if GPS is unavailable
Especially for GPS-dependent operations
IFR Fuel Planning in Depth
The fuel requirement, expanded.
The legal minimum (91.167):
Fuel to fly to the first airport of intended landing
PLUS to the alternate (if one is required)
PLUS 45 minutes at normal cruising speed
The regulatory floor
Beyond the minimum:
Holding (if delays are expected)
Vectors and reroutes (ATC may extend your route)
A missed approach at the destination (then to the alternate)
Stronger-than-forecast headwinds
Personal reserves for weather uncertainty
The missed-approach consideration:
The fuel should account for flying the approach, missing, and going to the alternate
The 45-minute reserve is AFTER reaching the alternate
Plan for the full sequence
Conservative
Why IFR fuel is conservative:
IFR involves more uncertainty (weather, delays, reroutes)
The consequences of fuel exhaustion are severe
Plan generously above the minimum
Fuel is cheap insurance
Aircraft, Documents, and Crew
The items beyond the flight-planning acronym.
Aircraft airworthiness:
The aircraft must be airworthy for IFR (the required inspections: pitot-static, transponder, altimeter within 24 months)
IFR equipment operational (GRABCARD items)
Verify before an IFR flight
Part of preflight
Required documents:
ARROW (airworthiness, registration, operating limitations, weight and balance) plus the data plate
Current charts/approach plates (for the route and approaches)
Verify aboard
Standard
Pilot currency:
Instrument currency (6-6-HITS within 6 calendar months)
To act as PIC under IFR
Verify you're current
(Covered in the instrument currency post)
The IFR-specific equipment check:
The pitot-static and altimeter inspection (24 months) for IFR
The transponder inspection (24 months)
Operational IFR instruments
Required for IFR flight
Why This Matters in Real IFR Flying
The risk-management framing, expanded.
WKFARTN is a risk-management framework:
Not just a checklist — a structured risk assessment
Ensures legality AND safety
Reduces in-flight surprises
A discipline
Skipping or rushing IFR preflight can lead to:
Illegal departures (not meeting 91.103)
Inadequate fuel reserves
Missed or unusable alternates
In-flight surprises (weather, ATC, NOTAMs)
Increased workload during critical phases
The workload benefit:
Thorough preflight reduces in-flight workload
In IFR, time and options are limited
Preparation on the ground pays off in the air
Less scrambling, more flying
The "what if" thinking:
Think through scenarios (weather worse than forecast, an approach unavailable, an engine issue)
Have plans (alternates, outs)
Anticipate problems
Proactive risk management
Practical Tips for IFR Preflight Success
Expanded advice.
Use flight planning software (ForeFlight, etc.), but verify critical items manually
Brief your alternate approach before departure (know it cold)
Review the departure procedure (ODP/SID) and climb gradient
Check RAIM (non-WAAS) and GPS NOTAMs
Write down expected clearances, delays, and frequencies
Compare available runway lengths against your required takeoff/landing distances
Think through "what if" scenarios
Verify aircraft IFR airworthiness (inspections, equipment)
Confirm your instrument currency
Treat every IFR flight like a training event
Common IFR Preflight Mistakes
Checking only the departure weather (not destination and alternates)
Filing an alternate that doesn't meet alternate minimums (or is NA)
Confusing alternate minimums (planning) with landing minimums
Treating runway lengths (R) and takeoff/landing distances (T) as the same thing (they're separate — available vs. required)
Skipping the departure procedure review (obstacle clearance)
Forgetting the RAIM check for a non-WAAS GPS approach
Missing a NOTAM that invalidates an approach or affects the alternate
Planning minimum fuel without accounting for holding/missed/reroutes
Not verifying IFR airworthiness (pitot-static/transponder inspections)
Final Thoughts
The acronym WKFARTN exists for a reason: it helps IFR pilots comply with 91.103 while preparing for the complexity of instrument flying. But the acronym is scaffolding — the real skill is in the details: selecting a legal alternate and knowing the actual minimums (600-2 precision, 800-2 non-precision, and the NA/non-standard exceptions), comparing available runway lengths against your required takeoff and landing distances, reviewing the departure procedure for obstacle clearance, checking RAIM and GPS NOTAMs, and planning fuel conservatively for the full IFR sequence.
An IFR clearance does not make a flight safe — preparation does. Apply these required IFR preflight actions consistently, add the items the acronym misses (departure procedures, RAIM, IFR airworthiness), and you'll not only stay legal but fly smarter, calmer, and more confidently in the system.
On the Written Test and Checkride
IFR preflight actions appear on tests and checkride orals (instrument especially). The most commonly tested topics:
91.103 (all available information) and the WKFARTN items
The 1-2-3 rule (alternate required?)
Standard alternate minimums (600-2 precision, 800-2 non-precision)
The NA and non-standard (triangle-A) alternate minimums
IFR fuel requirements (destination + alternate + 45 min)
Departure procedures and RAIM
Quick Reference
91.103 (IFR Preflight):
PIC must know ALL AVAILABLE INFORMATION
Required: weather, fuel, alternatives, ATC delays, runway lengths, T/O and landing distance
Cited in enforcement — a real standard
WKFARTN:
W — Weather (departure, destination, alternates; TAFs, AIRMETs/SIGMETs, icing, winds, PIREPs)
K — Known ATC Delays (GDPs, EDCTs, flow programs)
F — Fuel Requirements (destination + alternate + 45 min, plus reserves)
A — Alternate Airports (1-2-3 rule, minimums)
R — Runway Lengths (available runway at airports of intended use)
T — Takeoff and Landing Distances (required distances from the POH)
N — NOTAMs (closures, NAVAID/GPS outages, approach changes)
R vs. T (a key pairing):
R (Runway Lengths): the runway you HAVE (available)
T (Takeoff/Landing Distances): the runway you NEED (required, from performance data)
Compare them: is the available runway enough, with margin?
The 1-2-3 Rule (alternate required?):
From 1 hour before to 1 hour after ETA
Ceiling at least 2,000 ft AND visibility at least 3 SM
Below at any point in the window → alternate required
Standard Alternate Minimums (forecast at ETA):
Precision approach: 600-2 (600 ft ceiling, 2 SM)
Non-precision approach: 800-2 (800 ft, 2 SM)
Triangle-A (⧊A): non-standard minimums (check the chart)
"NA": not authorized as an alternate
Alternate vs. Landing Minimums:
Alternate minimums (600-2/800-2): for PLANNING (filing)
Landing minimums (published DA/MDA): for the actual approach once you divert
IFR Fuel (91.167):
Destination + alternate (if required) + 45 min
Plus holding, missed, reroutes, headwinds, personal reserves
Departure Procedures (acronym misses this):
Review ODP or SID for obstacle clearance
Diverse departure assumption: 35 ft at DER, 400 ft before turning, 200 ft/NM climb gradient
Verify you can meet any required (steeper) gradient
RAIM / GPS Check:
Non-WAAS GPS: check RAIM availability before the flight
WAAS: generally no RAIM check needed
Check GPS NOTAMs (outages/testing)
IFR Airworthiness:
Pitot-static/altimeter inspection (24 months)
Transponder inspection (24 months)
IFR equipment operational (GRABCARD)
Instrument currency (6-6-HITS)
Key Principle:
IFR preflight (91.103) requires all available information — WKFARTN covers Weather, Known ATC delays, Fuel, Alternate airports, Runway lengths, Takeoff and landing distances, and NOTAMs. Note that R (runway lengths available) and T (takeoff/landing distances required) are separate items to compare against each other. Determine if an alternate is required (1-2-3 rule), and if so, ensure it meets alternate minimums (600-2 precision, 800-2 non-precision, watching for NA/non-standard). Add the items the acronym misses: review the departure procedure, check RAIM for non-WAAS GPS, and verify IFR airworthiness.
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Author: Nathan Hodell
CFI, CFII, MEI, ATP, Creator and CEO
Nathan is an aviation enthusiast with thousands of hours of flying and dual instruction over the past 15+ years. Through his aviation career he has been able to earn his ATP, fly as an airline pilot, own/operate flight schools, and create and host wifiCFI.