Pilots warned to avoid flying on empty

[Admin]

In the Aircraft Pilots News Section:

 

http://www.recreationalflying.com/threads/pilots-warned-to-avoid-flying-on-empty.33267/

 

 

[farri]

What can we say on this one?

 

Year ago,I wrote an article on fuel management,that was published in the AUF magazine, and If I recall correctly, also in the CASA safety journal. ( I forget what CASA or the safety journol was called back then.)

 

As a rule, everyone is taught how to calculate fuel requirements, when they are learning to obtain their cross country endorsement.

 

Anyone who doesn`t know how to calculate fuel requirements,or those pilots who havn`t yet done navigation,have plenty of time to run out of fuel,even though they are flying within the required distance from their take-off point.

 

Frank.

 

 

[facthunter]

I've seen people runout of fuel, doing circuits. Perhaps there is no real situational awareness. Unless you are in a glider, you are only in the air because of the fuel in your tank(s). The most perfect engine will not run without it. When you turn your plane into a glider, it is not a good one.

 

They haven't built a plane you can park and hitch a ride to the service station and get a can filled yet, and they never will. Fuel is "GO" juice.

 

Since you can never be sure of getting all of the fuel out of the tank in all situations why would you ever knowingly, be in the air, and have less than 30 minutes fuel in the tank? I wouldn't even go that low. Nev

 

 

[rdarby]

We get trained in managing fuel.

 

It is common sense.

 

CASA and others give away pads of paper with place to work out your fuel on.

 

I think everything possible is done to help pilots, but some people just seem to have an attitude that suggests "she'll be right" and it can't happen to them. It's like they don't think of actual examples of what could go wrong, and if they do experience something going wrong, they blame someone else.

 

There is no helping some people.

 

 

[Dieselten]

Dip your tanks.

 

Get your fuel-gauges calibrated.

 

Check when it was last re-fuelled, how much went in, how much has it flown since then.

 

If in doubt, put some in - enough for your planned flight plus a half-hour reserve.

 

Don't trust fuel-gauges. Track your fuel usage during the flight.

 

That skinny little bowser holds an incredible amount of fuel - don't be afraid to buy some.

 

There are no negative numbers in fuel-calculations (U. S. Navy aviator's saying.)

 

Buy fuel by weight, not volume - a fixed weight of fuel contains a fixed amount of megajoules. Weight varies by volume according to density.

 

 

[turboplanner]

And in Jabs with wing fuel tanks don't trust gauges or a quick dipstick. Dip, move the ac around to face the opposite way, dip again. the tanks are so flat and squat that angle is significant.

 

 

[Tomo]

In my opinion, take note how much you're putting into your tank also, to see if it's in the ball park figure you calculated should go in.

 

As you could think it's full, but then notice you have put in less than what you figured it needed, get someone to rock the wing and just make sure it is actually full. More prominent in wing tanks obviously but sometimes they can appear fuller than they really are.

 

I was flying with a guy in a Cessna 208 Grand Caravan and he had someone else fuel up for him, but as we were doing the checks he reckoned they didn't fill it right up so asked me to check and put some more in. I put another 400 litres in!! (200 odd each side). Was certainly an eye opener for myself as I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it, it looked pretty full!

 

 

[facthunter]

There are three circumstances where you know the situation with your fuel contents, accurately.

 

When the tanks are full to the brim on level ground.

 

When they are drained of all fuel ( or when all useable fuel is used. Different but you should know the difference).

 

When you have removed or added a known amount of fuel to the above situations (where appropriate)

 

Some fuel dips are imprecise. Most fuel gauges are unreliable.

 

Fuel burn rates depends on how the engine is operated, and sometimes it may have been modified from original so has a different burn rate. Fuel burn rate should only be based on actual established usage and your method of logging times anf fuel used/added should be an ongoing check. Circuit work and cross country may have different flow rates.

 

Think in endurance as well as quantity. Legal reserves exist, but mine are generally more than the minimums specified.

 

Parking, or taxying on a slope or flying a plane, with the skid ball not centred, when the tanks are near full, can vent a considerable amount of fuel overboard.

 

A plane parked overnight can have fuel stolen from it. Nev

 

 

[turboplanner]

Taking note of the amount pumped in is a sure guarantee for your trip HOWEVER you need to be sure the pump has been calibrated.

 

Your own pump my be accurate, but some country pumps may be way out.

 

 

[poteroo]

I remember seeing placards on the inst. panels of US imported aircraft with a statement along these lines:

 

'Assure that fuel contents and quality are adequate or death and injury may result'

 

Always brings a smile when I think of all that legal creativity!

 

happy days,