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View Full Version : Etihad divert fuel and decision making ?


fluffy5
15th Feb 2010, 01:13
Yesterday as I was skipping across the desert floor in the morning, near to Al Ain, on Al Ain Grd freq. I heard a brief converastion with Grd and a Etihad flight, quite unusual but I stand to be corrected.
Anyhow it went on in this manner :-
ATC " etihad flight can you please tell us the reason for your divert from abu dhabi"
long pause....
FO " we have certain amount of pax 's on board"
ATC " I say again, could you please tell us the reason for diverting "
FO " fuel "
Atc " why "
long pause.....
FO " we had 35 minutes of reserve and we had been holding at abu dhabi for 14 minutes and still could not get clearance, so we diverted to Al Ain"

This last response is exact, they have the tapes.
My question is what is the standard IFR reserve fuel and capable for diversion,
As a lowly military chopper instructor, what is the airbus flight time from abu to Al ain.....
As I said, I stand to be corrected....

latetonite
15th Feb 2010, 04:40
He had probably 35 min reserve fuel on top of his Minimum Diversion Fuel. He used 14 minutes in the hold and decided to divert.

sandpit
15th Feb 2010, 07:33
No idea of this particular flight. However CAT 3 ops are VERY slow in AUH if they require a "follow me" car for the taxi in (that is not something you choose - they require you to use it at certain vis) - as the next aircraft can not land until the previous one has been lead off the taxi way to stand.

So if there are several aircraft waiting for approach before you and they are all presumably in much the same boat in regard to fuel, there is no point hanging around and wasting fuel if you are number 5 and know there is no chance of you getting to make an approach in the time available. You might as well go to your diversion airfield first and comfortably (not arriving with 30 minutes only), top up and be ready to go home at the earliest opportunity.

Bredrin
15th Feb 2010, 11:33
Landed in AUH the other day with RVRs all below 200m and no follow me was used. The aircraft waiting for departure took off as soon as we reported 'clear' and another was on final. It seems as though the rules have changed and things are faster now during low vis operations. Maybe faster is the wrong word....it is not as slow.

Togalk
15th Feb 2010, 17:13
The correct response to the ATC's question should have been, "operational requirements"
Everyone here has a habit of TALKING TOO MUCH!!

Toubob
15th Feb 2010, 19:02
Roger that Togalk. ATC has us 40 mile in trail the other week CAVOK,then hold, we got a 30 min EFC time and elected to bugger off to ALN. Miraculously they changed it to 10 mile and we landed with min dev.

I don't know what is with ATC here, maybe it's guys fighting management, but today had M.84 from Iran into UAE then slow to 250,210 180 to arrive 20 miles behind the last lander. Matybe it's work to rule, no situational awareness or to much shisha, ATC please advise cause this airspace is a joke.

filejw
15th Feb 2010, 21:12
Way way to much......

fluffy5
16th Feb 2010, 01:02
Thankyou for your reply, I learn new things everyday.
fluffy

BlueSkye
16th Feb 2010, 01:14
ATC please advise

Date, exact time and flight number? Via PM naturally.