Innovative ways to save money...

[Rick1128]

Going for the highest altitude possible is certainly no way to save fuel in every airplane I have flown (aside for maybe turbojet lears?) - in fact, its a downright horrible idea if you are trying to fly long range.

For the last few planes I flew, along with the current one, FL370 for a few hours followed by FL410 then later (maybe 6hrs later) FL450....etc..is the way to stretch legs.

Only dorks who like to take goofy FMS and Airshow pictures for the internet struggle to FL510 (hey wait that me!!)

Its the corporate version of the regional adventure called "lets 410 it dude"

If you are bucking a 100+ headwind and by climbing an extra 5 or 6,000 feet you can drop the headwind by a third or more, it more than makes up for the lose of speed. While your true airspeed and mach may be lower initially, your ground speed will be the same or higher with a lower fuel burn. Besides the speed will come back as you get lighter. So in the long run during that flight you come out ahead. And that is why sometimes it is faster not to fly a straight line. Work the winds.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

If you are bucking a 100+ headwind and by climbing an extra 5 or 6,000 feet you can drop the headwind by a third or more, it more than makes up for the lose of speed. While your true airspeed and mach may be lower initially, your ground speed will be the same or higher with a lower fuel burn. Besides the speed will come back as you get lighter. So in the long run during that flight you come out ahead. And that is why sometimes it is faster not to fly a straight line. Work the winds.

Yes, common sense applies. Your flight planning provider should route you for best winds/altitude....although, there has been plenty of times when they botched that up as well. Its always something to check, expecially on ocean crossings.

Climbing an extra 5-6000ft just is not practical when you are fueled for a 10+hr leg in most long range planes. You can fall off to speed and not make it up for hours, all the while power at max..

LRC charts are helpful, but often they will slow you to ridiculous speeds (.74-.75) and if that's the case we just fly fast and refuel.

Everyone has their own way to long range a plane, for me and most I have seen you just have to accept going low and slow for the first few hours (Fl 370/.78-.80 for example)

 

[spg2bmd]

I think at airline indoc they outta teach those guys, when the aircraft preceeding you on arrival prefaces his callsign with "Gulfstream" immediately slow to final approach speed and be prepared to go around.

Example:

"Tower, Gulfstream 18UP, wicha, just outside da marker."

Airline Crew SOP Standard Call Out"

PF "Flaps Landing - Speed Set Vref."

PNF "Flaps selected landing, speed set XXX (KIAS). Standing by to go around."

If these airlines would just adhere to this, the world would be a much nicer place.

I have been behind a few Gulfstreams pilots in my day on approach. That was funny as heLL.

 

[gulfstream2345]

Every time I have tried to save money for the boss it has backfired. I just quit trying. Fuel is the biggest single direct operating cost so we have installed our own fuel farm. Our fuel cost, Jet A, into the plane with all taxes included is $2.69/gal today. Since we operate a larger airplane we can usually roundtrip the fuel and even paying a ramp fee we come out far ahead.