Declaring Minimum Fuel

[User546]

I continue to raise my eyebrows at pilots who are afraid to declare "min fuel" or even declare an emergency (if indeed a emergency exists) due to their fear of "paperwork" or "visits from the Feds"

I second that, and it's alarming to me how many people I know and talk to that have this same attitude about things.

I always tell them this: "It's a lot better to have to fill out some paperwork when you land, then to have to face the dire consequences of not making it to your destination!" So many accidents could've been avoided if pilots would just speak up sooner, and not be afraid to admit they need help.

 

[JAFI]

The system gives pilots several "Outs" when they need them. The first is Part 91.3 that allows you to do what you have to do to MEET an emergency. The reg is open to allow just about anything to keep you alive. Now if you put your self into that emergency by going out side of the regs or policy, well the Judges may not like that. Then there is the famous NASA form. Problems cannot be fixed in a system unless someone tells about the problems.

One comment I like to make to pilots is that they already paid for the ATC services (taxes), why don't you want to use them...?

JAFI

 

[TEXAN AVIATOR]

I've had to declare min fuel at one point with a student; ATC re-routed us after we had already received our clearance and were halfway through a DP due to another aircraft's emergency. So instead of a quartering headwind on the leg back, we had a direct. ATC even advised us once if we could keep the speed up GS was 48-knots in a C172. We were between cloud layers at one point and were passed by cars below on a 65mph highway.

Ended up landing just above minimums, but I reported "min fuel" and got direct IAF, which aided in our fuel preservation.

 

[Vector4fun]

Actually, I've had a 20 series Lear call tower on the phone to ask about departure delays because if they had to wait more than 5 min for TO, they were gonna be in a minimum fuel situation. The guy wasn't being a jerk at all, just had a long flight and wanted to minimize taxi and hold short time. We worked it out.


All that said, I really don't have a lot of sympathy for Joe Blow who files 800+ mile legs in his Mooney and then gets in a tight with VFR WX everywhere. Heck, AVgas is probably a buck cheaper at some small enroute airport than at PHX anyway. And I've made 15 min "pit stops" lots of times. It's not a big deal.

 

[rumpletumbler]

Thanks for the different perspectives on this. It makes a lot more sense to me now.

 

[ATCER]

One thing I forgot to mention... I always ask for fuel remaining in TIME. Majority of the time pilots report remaining fuel in pounds, I have no idea what that means.

When declaring anything to do with fuel that is vital info for us...

 

[Flightjock30]

You kiddin me? When were flying into Newark and are holding for awhile we declare minimum fuel a lot of the time. Fu*k the feds. We've never had an issue. Funny thing is.....we have plenty of fuel left! A lot of pilots do this.

 

[slowto250]

Yes, but isn't that being dishonest ?

 

[mar]

Lie cheat and steal

Fu*k the feds. We've never had an issue. Funny thing is.....we have plenty of fuel left! A lot of pilots do this.

Funny.

Nice attitude.

Real professional too.

Flightjock. Is that like a nylon brief with patches and zippers and stuff?

 

[TurboS7]

Always declare minimum fuel. The reserve is for you, what are you going to do on short final when you have no green light on the gear. Have enough fuel to always go around, that is minimum fuel. Usually around 30 minutes is it.