Hawaii Fuel Planning

[Pilot Doc]

On another board I frequent, there's a "what's the smallest plane I can fly to Hawaii" thread going. The poster does a lot of T210 flying across the Caribbean and isn't concerned with wet vs. dry footprint. His main question is how one goes about setting fuel reserves strictly based on winds. What is typically used?

 

[Gulfstream 200]

On another board I frequent, there's a "what's the smallest plane I can fly to Hawaii" thread going. The poster does a lot of T210 flying across the Caribbean and isn't concerned with wet vs. dry footprint. His main question is how one goes about setting fuel reserves strictly based on winds. What is typically used?

Just run some flight plans using current and historical winds, then add whatever makes you comfy....I use a driftdown to 10K ft as worse case scenario for crossings. I think the lowest amount of fuel I have landed in Hawaii with was 5000lbs..about 90mins worth (NY-PHNL) That's close enough for me. Over land with bail out points in friendly countries? I will fly down to reserves anyday. Handling can always be arranged quick enough.

Too many variables to deal with. Same goes for long hauls to/over places like Russia and China. Guys often ask what altitude they will get and that they need to be high to make XXX trip non-stop. I have been stuck over Russia/Mongolia in the middle of the night at FL310 for 6+ hours. You just cant plan for everything, so be conservative.

Nothing worse than a rookie wannabe hero. His balls grow much smaller as departure day arrives and he changes his destination 13X and screws up the trip and causes stress for everyone because he cant make an intelligent, realistic decision.

Remember, its the internet. You will find plenty of retards who don't care about wet footprints and who fly single engine aircraft across oceans, just ignore them.

Nothing worse than people who complicate things.

G200 rant over.

 

[TransMach]

Hawaii

Nevermind ...

TransMach

 

[Coool Hand Luke]

For CENPAC I always like extra fuel. I came out of PHOG once going to Dallas and ended up landing in KELP due to a tropical storm sitting off Baja that gave us a nice 50 knot headwind going east. Still might have made it NS except that over the course of 8 hours the weather at KDAL went Tango Uniform.

 

[con-pilot]

On another board I frequent, there's a "what's the smallest plane I can fly to Hawaii" thread going. The poster does a lot of T210 flying across the Caribbean and isn't concerned with wet vs. dry footprint. His main question is how one goes about setting fuel reserves strictly based on winds. What is typically used?

Well, then I would guess it depends on just how good of a swimmer he is.

I talked to a Hawker 800 pilot once after he landed at PHNL and I just plain out asked him if he had a dry footprint for the crossing. He replied, "Oh no, but our 'wet exposure' was only about 30 minutes."

Guess he made it back to the mainland, I didn't read or hear anything about a Hawker 800 ditching in the ocean.

 

[G100driver]

Amazing, cp ... Everytime I see Astra, Hawkers and Lears ... yes lears ... over there I just shake my head.

 

[ILOVEBEER]

I used to fly Lear 36's there all the time (empty). No big deal if the winds cooperate.

 

[guido411]

I'm pretty sure the salesmen pushing the Hawker 900XP will say no wet footprint. Anybody with real airplane experience know this to be true or false?