Plain English Meaning

The other choices you could make. Before deciding what to do, a pilot thinks through the different options available, not just the obvious one.

Full Definition

In the context of decision-making, alternatives are the different possible courses of action a pilot identifies and evaluates before choosing one. Considering alternatives is a deliberate step in aeronautical decision-making (ADM), where a pilot weighs multiple options against the situation, available resources, and expected outcomes rather than committing to the first idea that comes to mind.

Context Anchor

Seen in aviation decision-making, flight instruction, preflight planning, and in-flight problem solving.

Derivation

From the Latin alter, meaning 'the other (of two).' The word originally pointed to a choice between two things, then broadened to mean any of several options. The idea of 'the other path' is exactly what pilots are doing when they consider alternatives — looking past the first to see what else is available.