IFR Fuel Reserves?

[ILOVEBEER]

So, basically, as soon as you fly out of the last cloud on your route, you can dump fuel so as to land with dry tanks at your destination and still be legal. (well, other than "careless" or "reckless"...)

You could do that in IMC too if you want. The required 45 min reserve is a planned reserve. The FARs do not state that you have to land with 45 mins of fuel. You just have to PLAN to land with 45 mins.

 

[MauleSkinner]

You could do that in IMC too if you want. The required 45 min reserve is a planned reserve. The FARs do not state that you have to land with 45 mins of fuel. You just have to PLAN to land with 45 mins.

The FAR's state that you may not "operate" in IMC without a 45-minute reserve...the VMC reserve is a "planned" reserve ("begin a flight"), but the IMC reserve isn't.

 

[MauleSkinner]

The FAR's state that you may not "operate" in IMC without a 45-minute reserve...the VMC reserve is a "planned" reserve ("begin a flight"), but the IMC reserve isn't.

Although I'll grant you that there's an NTSB decision somewhere (I can't find it right now) that appears to agree with you rather than me, but since I can't guarantee the same people will be judging my case, I'm not going to take the chance.

 

[brokeflyer]

What he means is you have to plan to have that 45 minutes AFTER going to your alternate if you are flying in IMC conditions.

If you start out and get to your first stop and you have to hold, then you have to wait in line..etc...etc and you land with only enough fuel to fly to an alternate you are still legal.


PLANNED meaning you planned to have the right amount of fuel if everything worked perfectly.....which it dont so that is why they added 45 minutes on top an alternate.

 

[AC560]

What he means is you have to plan to have that 45 minutes AFTER going to your alternate if you are flying in IMC conditions

Not exactly

(a) No person may operate a civil aircraft in IFR conditions unless it carries enough fuel (considering weather reports and forecasts and weather conditions) to—
(1) Complete the flight to the first airport of intended landing;
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, fly from that airport to the alternate airport; and
(3) Fly after that for 45 minutes at normal cruising speed or, for helicopters, fly after that for 30 minutes at normal cruising speed.
(b) Paragraph (a)(2) of this section does not apply if:

Paragraph (a)(2) does not apply if an alternate is not required.
Paragraphs (a)(1)(3) though always to so if an alternate is not required it reads.

(a) No person may operate a civil aircraft in IFR conditions unless it carries enough fuel (considering weather reports and forecasts and weather conditions) to—
(1) Complete the flight to the first airport of intended landing;
(3) Fly after that for 45 minutes at normal cruising speed or, for helicopters, fly after that for 30 minutes at normal cruising speed.

 

[brokeflyer]

yeah I meant if an alternate is required.

 

[PURPLEHAZE21]

30 mins....end of story.....NEXT !!!!!!!!!!

 

[VW Pilot]

The 45 mins worth of fuel is a minimum amount....Build margins. Take along more fuel. You can never have too much fuel or altitude...unless you're on fire or out of the envelope because your duffel bag weighs 900lbs.... It has happened too many times where a plane's engine was starved of fuel...best take all you can or plan legs where you're left with a healthy fuel reserve for those times when ATC gives you vectors in all directions other than intended......

 

[avbug]

It has happened too many times where a plane's engine was starved of fuel...best take all you can or plan legs where you're left with a healthy fuel reserve for those times when ATC gives you vectors in all directions other than intended......

That's all good and well if you have a 30 gallon fuel tank and can land on the nearest road.

With fuel often limited by payload, one needs to plan carefully...but simply carrying all the fuel one can may be economically unfeasible, and may be operationally out of the ballpark, too.

 

[VW Pilot]

Well Avbug that's kind of what I meant. I was leaning towards a GA sort of situation, you know, 2 pilots or single pilot, a 172 or Warrior on an IFR flight. You can pretty much top off the tanks and fly....Yes, after you have "carefully" contructed a plan to do so and and considered ALL the information available.....