When choosing an alternate it draws a direct to it. Is there a way to plan the alternate properly. There’s obviously too many variable as to how and when one would choose to route to an alternate. However if you’ve rubber-banded the route from your destination to alternate in advance it gives you much less work figuring out things like heights, times and NOTAMs / restricted airspace. (And not ignoring pointless notams/warnings because you’d never fly the direct route.

A diversion is a busy time so having some of the route plotted will give you an easy way of “intercepting” your diversion route, knowing you only need to worry about the bit between where you are and the diversion route

Why not plan the route from DEP-DEST-ALT as a two leg route, but touching 'Land Here' for the DEST?

Because if messes up your pilot log, fuel planning, flight plan. Should I go on?

I want to plan from DEST to ALT but with ability to have legs and different heights. It just puts in a dotted line direct between the two going through whatever restricted, class A etc airspace happens to be in the way

I suspect what you are asking for is a major revision to the way SD works, for something that rarely occurs.

Yeah I know. And your suggestion would work fine. My point is, a diversion is normally a high workload time so messing around on your iPad isn’t a great idea. I think also flipping to a new route would also mean you lose quick access to things on the original plog like Off block time, elapsed time etc

In my experience, the decision to divert to your alternate often needs to be taken before reaching DEST, so when route planning in SD, I do not generally plan an alternate. Rather, having planned my route, I then choose one or more alternates along my route and make a note of them. Then if it becomes necessary to divert in flight, I chose the most appropriate alternate, and select Route Direct.

Mike
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I hope you’re not saying you don’t plan your alternates on the ground? How do you know which notams to lay attention to. You cant route direct to your alternate if there’s airspace in the way and, as great as SD is, certainly wouldn’t be trying to figure that all in fight

Mike
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