Fuel reserves

[shafs64]

Hi can someone tell me the rules on how many minutes or hours fuel you should have at the end of a Nav.

 

Thanks

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

Everything you need to know is here.

 

http://www.casa.gov.au/download/CAAPs/ops/234_1.pdf

 

Basically VFR (piston engined) = 45 mins. Of course it is prudent to carry some additional fuel in case of any unforseen eventualities, but technically you can land with 45 mins.

 

 

[djpacro]

Sorry Howard, but technically you can land with NIL as some of my stupid friends have been known to do.

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

Good point, but in the interest of promoting safety I will still recommend 45 mins.

 

Funnily enough I was expecting someone to point out the 'advisory' nature of the CAAP's!

 

 

[djpacro]

I meant technical technical. There'd be enough hooks in the regs that there'd be some explaining to do if one did land with NIL fuel but after all it is the pilot's reserve to use it if needed. One of my friends is finding out that failing to adequately plan for sufficient reserve and more importantly failing to monitor fuel usage adequately leading to a decision not to divert to a closer airfield has some serious consequences. As far as I know he still has his licence. I guess the insurance company is still pursuing the cost of the airplane.

 

He was unlucky - another minute of fuel and no-one would've known, he'd just be one of the stupid ones.

 

He was lucky - he landed so hard and bent enough that his bum must've been only an inch or so from the ground - doesn't take much more for a person to end up in really bad shape.

 

 

[kaz3g]

Draft CASR Part 91.510 provides that the pilot in command commits an offence if he/she departs with insufficient fuel on board to arrive at the destination with the fixed reserve intact. It further provides that it is an offence to arrive at your destination with less than the fixed reserve if you have failed to land at any intermediate alternate where you could have landed with fixed reserves intact. penalty 50 penalty units (approx $5500 from memory).

 

Kaz

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

Draft CASR Part 91.510 provides that the pilot in command commits an offence if he/she departs with insufficient fuel on board to arrive at the destination with the fixed reserve intact. It further provides that it is an offence to arrive at your destination with less than the fixed reserve if you have failed to land at any intermediate alternate where you could have landed with fixed reserves intact. penalty 50 penalty units (approx $5500 from memory).Kaz

Does it specify what the reserve should be?

[kaz3g]

Fixed reserve is 45 minutes as always

 

K

 

 

[djpacro]

One of the issues with that draft Part 91. How will pilots respond to that rule?

 

With that penalty for not arriving with the specified fixed reserve will the fixed reserve then become ballast and will we carry additional reserve over and above that to avoid a fine? Or will we still plan for the same fixed reserve and start to do some silly things when we think we might be eating into that reserve?

 

It is well known that running out of fuel is a too common cause of accidents but I doubt that a draconian law will erase stupidity and perhaps will generate new variants of stupidity.

 

 

[kaz3g]

Used to be plus 30 minutes for an alternative if tempo at destination from memory?

 

Kaz

 

 

[kaz3g]

It is well known that running out of fuel is a too common cause of accidents but I doubt that a draconian law will erase stupidity and perhaps will generate new variants of stupidity.

I assisted with the AOPA submissions when this was first mooted and what you say is absolutely true. There will be pilots who choose to Outland rather than turn up somewhere where they might be ramp checked and fined nearly 6 grand for having 30 minutes left. Even in my Auster, that's 50 NM or 7 circuits which seems not such an unwise margin to my mind.

 

If Inhad to carry the fixed plus alternate I'd have nearly half my full fuel load as reserve!

 

Kaz

 

 

[Tomo]

Reserve is something you 'Plan' for, whether you end up back on the ground with that still intact is another story... if you have it all down on paper, getting ramp checked shouldn't be a problem.

 

And besides, running out of fuel on the taxi way is a bit embarrassing I would think!

 

 

[kaz3g]

Reserve is something you 'Plan' for, whether you end up back on the ground with that still intact is another story... if you have it all down on paper, getting ramp checked shouldn't be a problem. And besides, running out of fuel on the taxi way is a bit embarrassing I would think!

If you have it all down on paper but arrive with less than your fixed reserve you still fall foul of the second limb of reg 510 because you should have landed at an alternate before you started to eat into your reserves. That's the problem, Tomo. Use your reserve - any of it - and you are in line for a very big fine.

 

Kaz

 

 

[djpacro]

So shafs64, after a bit of searching around the regs (some of us have exciting Friday evenings)

 

234 Fuel requirements(1)The pilot in command of an aircraft must not commence a flight within Australian territory, or to or from Australian territory, if he or she has not taken reasonable steps to ensure that the aircraft carries sufficient fuel and oil to enable the proposed flight to be undertaken in safety.

Penalty: 50 penalty units.

 

(2)An operator of an aircraft must take reasonable steps to ensure that an aircraft does not commence a flight as part of the operator’s operations if the aircraft is not carrying sufficient fuel and oil to enable the proposed flight to be undertaken in safety.

 

Penalty: 50 penalty units.

 

(3)For the purposes of these regulations, in determining whether fuel and oil carried on an aircraft in respect of a particular flight was sufficient within the meaning of subregulations (1) and (2), a court must, in addition to any other matters, take into account the following matters:

 

(a) the distance to be travelled by the aircraft on the flight to reach the proposed destination;

 

(b) the meteorological conditions in which the aircraft is, or may be required, to fly;

 

© the possibility of:

 

(i) a forced diversion to an alternative aerodrome; and

 

(ii) a delay pending landing clearance; and

 

(iii) air traffic control re routing the flight after commencement of the flight; and

 

(iv) a loss of pressurisation in the aircraft; and

 

(v) where the aircraft is a multi engined aircraft — an engine failure;

 

(d) any guidelines issued from time to time by CASA for the purposes of this regulation.

 

(4) An offence against subregulation (1) or (2) is an offence of strict liability.

 

Note For strict liability, see section 6.1 of the Criminal Code.

Good to see that a court has to consider these matters rather than the opinion of a CASA FOI. Note the final hook where the CAAP is brought into the regulations so not really just advisory is it. As Tomo says, you get an opportunity to explain it - compare this with the text of the new draft regs.

[kaz3g]

The existing provisions also refer to the pilot taking "reasonable steps" to ensure sufficient fuel is carried. The proposed new regs don't have anything about being reasonable in them at all.

 

The "reasonable person" test is well recognised at law and judges apply it to mean what a normal prudent person would do if in the same circumstances. It allows for those things unforeseen and that we're not expected when the information available was assessed.

 

Kaz

 

 

[dazza 38]

Pilots should be responsible enought to look after themselves.Dont worry about all the crap rules that are out there.

 

Just joking take as much fuel as you can.Its a oldy but a goody.The only time you have too much fuel onboard is when you are on fire.

 

 

[shafs64]

when i first started flying in GA it was based on casa regs. So RAA seems to be the same or do we just go by the casa regs. what if you are flying drifter or thruster would they still have the 45min reseve.

 

And yes i have no life being on the forum on firday night.

 

 

[Bryon]

Use your reserve - any of it - and you are in line for a very big fine.Kaz

What is the point of having a reserve if you are not allowed to use it???????????

 

Isnt the whole point of allocating a reserve is to ensure that you have it to use in circumstances unforseen such as stronger than forcast headwinds or a sudden change in the weather forcing you to divert

 

 

[mAgNeToDrOp]

What is the variable fuel reserve exactly.? I see it does not apply to private operations.?

 

 

[poteroo]

What is the point of having a reserve if you are not allowed to use it???????????Isnt the whole point of allocating a reserve is to ensure that you have it to use in circumstances unforseen such as stronger than forcast headwinds or a sudden change in the weather forcing you to divert

Look at it this way - the law says you must allocate a fixed reserve of 45 mins fuel @ normal cruise burn rate. Then, you have the option of keeping extra reserve fuel - a variable reserve if you wish. For commercial flights, you are obliged to have as your variable reserve - 15% of the flight fuel you have planned. But, it's sensible to carry more than the bare fixed reserve of 45 mins, and the longer the planned flight - the larger this should be. Which makes the % concept valid. The further you fly, in distance and time - the more likely it is that conditions will change from your pre-flight advice. The best advice I ever had on fuel was to 'begin conserving fuel from the moment you lift-off - not when the proverbial hits the fan'!

 

happy days,

 

 

[flyvulcan]

Thank goodness my Komet only needs 30 minutes fixed reserve. That will give me a still air range of, oh... around 60nm!

 

 

[damkia]

What is the point of having a reserve if you are not allowed to use it???????????Isnt the whole point of allocating a reserve is to ensure that you have it to use in circumstances unforseen such as stronger than forcast headwinds or a sudden change in the weather forcing you to divert

My reading of the regs is that you were (are?) allowed to use it to land in an alternate airfield (it's primary purpose) and that airfield may be some distance past your destination in you line of flight, either side of your destination, or having been overflown (turning back). (going way back when I did FRP and NavEx preparations)

IIRC you are not allowed to use it to land at your destination unless there is bonefide verifiable reasons why you could not land earlier (precautionary), or that conditions on arrival had demonstrably changed, delaying your touchdown (ie, showers/heavy rain, held in circuit due to traffic, strip temporarily closed due to other reasons).

 

45 min is about 16kg of fuel for most people here with Rotax/Jab engines, not much really....

 

 

[turboplanner]

Poteroo as usual give some wise risk management advice, the more careful you are before the start of a flight, and as it progresses, the luckier you get.

 

231 (1) requires you to take reasonable steps

 

This could be in the form of a Flight Plan accompanied by the fuel burn calculations for climb, cruise, descent and any know delays, taking into account the Met forecast.

 

I've almost never seen posts on this forum showing good flight planning procedure, and particularly the fuel burn calculations. Maybe it's because of the Ultralight history where the flights were very short, but the worst thing you could possibly do in flying is commit a perfectly good engine to a stoppage before the intended destination.

 

The 45 minutes fuel is to give you a non-panic chance of getting to your destination, or finding another airfield if something goes wrong with the plan.

 

The two most common reasons you would not have the full 45 minutes reserve on board after landing are listed as mitigating factors in any court hearing:

 

(b)

 

Met - being able to provide a copy of the OFFICIAL met forecast which went into your flight plan, and being able to provide evidence of a substantial unforecast headwind component.

 

So the headwind will eat into the 45 minutes, and that's what the reserve is there for.

 

In terms of "reasonable" flight management, if you are maintaining a fuel endurance log, which you should be, you will know well in advance how much you are eating into that 45 minutes, and that leads on to the next defence:

 

© (i) Forced diversion.

 

If your endurance log shows that you are going to eat into the 45 minutes reserve, THAT's the time to start plans to divert to a closer airfield. At that point you'll be facing disbelief that your nice flight is unravelling, you'll have to get on the WAC chart and calculate new distances, now-known Met, new flight time etc. and perhaps with the head wind there are some extra bumps and cloud looming, so getting a correct diversion organised will take time. Once you have done that correctly, you will now have a shorter flight, and if a suitable field was available, you'll now have your 45 minutes plus reserve back again. It may be that the alternative airstrip leaves you with 30 minutes fuel, and that constitutes a Forced Diversion defence. HOWEVER, you are not going to get out of trouble if your diversion plan leaves you with ten minutes fuel reserve and you didn't make a precautionary landing.

 

If you do a flight plan, but just decide to wander over here, show the passenger a few stalls and steep turns there then finish up at the destination without the 45 minutes reserve and CASA ramp checks you, then you deserve the big fine Kaz mentioned because you were reckless.

 

This leaves the unexpected, such as a fuel leak after take off, flaps left partially down, a mistake in distance measurement, not correcting for magnetic north, and many other issue which can extend the flight time into the reserve. In this case the risk level has risen considerably, and your corrective action is to give a PAN call, which has the added bonus of kicking in assistance and advice from ATC rather than a Taser waiting for you at the airfield.

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

Let me ask you this. How many of you would submit an incident report, if you landed having eaten into your 45 min reserve?

 

Just read the RAA ops manual with regard to safety reporting, not a lot of guidance there!

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

Thank goodness my Komet only needs 30 minutes fixed reserve. That will give me a still air range of, oh... around 60nm!

Not at go-around power!

The 30 mins reserve in the B350 can be eaten up in as little as 10 minutes at take off/go-around power!