Nandi?? Don't know much about optimised routes, do you?? As I didn't work for PamAm/United, Nandi??
Don't know how PanAm planned flight routing with respect to optimised routes, but they obviously had in place a redispatch procedure for the LAX - SY flight, as used today elsewhere. Yes, Nadi, stopped there for a quick squirt and no disembarkation, took 20 - 30 minutes, then off to SY.
Re Dispatch Release
I don't see helos being a big part of the problem with fuel exhaustion, for the obvious reasons
Depends on their use, offshore oil, pilot transfers for example are just as constrained in their operations as any jet.
Other key point is these reserves are now legally mandated meaning possible prosecution if you use them, mayday or not?
Difficult to see that being the case. One of the 737 involved in the Mildura episode landed with a little under 40% of his fixed reserve intact. No possible way the crew could be prosecuted in the circumstances prevailing if it were to happen today. Crew has to play with the cards they're dealt, and in Mildura it was exemplary. As with this guy,
https://assets.publishing.service.go...pdf_501030.pdf
An interesting paper and references on reserve fuel here,
https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...6304513#bbib32