James

No you haven't misunderstood the holding requirement. It looks like that extra 10min is a recent addition to Cairns in ERSA. However in the situation described in this question, you require an alternate for Cairns so any holding fuel requirement doesn't affect the answer. Since you were asked the [u]minimum[/u] fuel required, you would simply carry the alternate with no need to provide any holding. Thanks for your feed-back and good luck with the exam.

Bob

Think I am missing something as my understanding of CAAP requirement 6.1(d) was that the traffic holding fuel should be carried even when an alternate is required. The closest similar question I can find is in Ex 3.2 no 27 which gives an answer along the lines I was thinking but then again, an alternate isn't required in that one :unsure:

You are not going to hold for 10 minutes due traffic and then go to the alternate - you are going to the alternate if either the weather or the traffic does not permit a landing when you arrive. The question asks for the minimum fuel required, so if the controller advises that must expect a delay due traffic you would request a clearance to go to the alternate. Of course it would be a good idea to carry the traffic holding to ensure that you get at least one shot at the approach, and you would have to be a bit dopey not to do that. The point you are making is a good one, and I must admit I cannot find a reference that clears it up. The above is simply my interpretation.

By the way CASA have often made the point that the CAAP is not law. CASA ask no questions based on CAAP because they are not requirements, are advisory only.

Oh don't say that Bob, I'm doing a licence conversion and have spent most of the past 2 months trying to stop answering questions in a practical way and try to look for all the traps 😆