APU Usage

[DO-82 driver]

I am researching how other Fractional outline the useage of the apu's on their aircraft.

What guidelines, if any, are being offered and are people adhering to them?

Thanks....

 

[NETFLIER]

its pilot by pilot.

here at netjets we burnt $14 million in apu fuel last year. so some of the guys need to cut down.

 

[old*art]

Short answer . yes and no. Some of our Falcons have more time on the apu than the engines. I will leave the obvious explanation to others, but it is about to become a hot item for saving money. I have never seen a Gwhiz with the door open without the apu running.

 

[CA1900]

At NJA it's pretty much common sense. Use it all you want to prep for the flight. Don't use it to eat dinner and watch a movie on a multi-hour sit.

That said, we were scheduled to sit for 4 hours in the Bahamas in the middle of summer last year, and the FBO didn't have air conditioning. I used my best judgment there.

But while the plane's occupied, if it's a hot day and we need the extra cold air from the APU, we'll absolutely keep it running until after takeoff. If it's a real nice day, we might not use it at all (on planes with electric start, obviously).

 

[HiSpeedFlyer]

Is an APU like TCAS???

 

[gutshotdraw]

In the G-IV, I loved ferry legs at the end of the day so we could use the "quiet shutdown" checklist and we could post-flight in peace and quiet. Alas, in the V/450/550, you have to run the APU after a flight in order to avoid corrosion issues from moisture accumulating in the APU compartment. Hence, the dorky headsets on the walk-around.

 

[skiandsurf]

Hence, the dorky headsets on the walk-around.

I was wondering about those dorky headsets. Will ear plugs work or are the dorky headsets a required item?

 

[gutshotdraw]

I was wondering about those dorky headsets. Will ear plugs work or are the dorky headsets a required item?

The aircraft is equipped with a David Clark or equivalent hearing protector. You can use whatever hearing protection you prefer or none at all....huh?....whats that you say!?? if you want to be deaf in a couple years. It gets pretty loud in the hellhole which is why I always liked the quiet shutdown.

 

[NJA Capt]

here at NetJets we burnt $14 million in apu fuel last year. so some of the guys need to cut down.

May we ask how you arrived at that number? There is no possible way to accurately estimate APU fuel used. Each aircraft has different guidelines for APU usage and there is not a separate fuel supply.

 

[DO-82 driver]

its pilot by pilot.

here at netjets we burnt $14 million in apu fuel last year. so some of the guys need to cut down.

I will have to say the the estimated number is less then 10% of this figure. I was dervived buy adding up the total apu time off of each a/c hobbs meter then multiplying it by the average fuel burn per in for that type of a/c.

Not an exact science but it gives a pretty good guess. Our FOM does have an APU policy (FOM 6.8.3) but each a/c has their specific needds so time will vary accordingly.

Either way.....running the APU to watch a movie while sitting on the ramp in TEB is simply wrong.