Originally Posted by
Vokes55
Seeing as it's mentioned a lot in this thread, I often wonder if PLOG fuel obsessives are aware that if you take extra fuel and end up not needing it, the majority of it is still in the tank at the end of the flight.
Taking an extra tonne on my flight today would've added 78kg to the trip fuel. It's summer, it's busy, there are thunderstorms, it's hot and the APU is needed for longer, BA insist on blocking the runway at Gatwick every other day, the alternates are busy, the level on the flight plan may not be available. If an extra tonne costs the company £53 (per today's prices on today's flight), but almost certainly gets the aircraft to where its meant to go, how much does a diversion cost? Not accounting for the reduced stress of not finding yourself in a low fuel state.
A bad captain for me is one that insists on flight plan fuel unless there's an exceptionalreason to take more, just to tow the company line or for their own personal pride. "Summer" should be a reason to take enough to be comfortable.
Thread creep over.
Vokes55, I had the pleasure of operating last July 2017 out of LHR for a few weeks. I have to say I always took extra fuel for my return leg back into LHR even if it was COVOK. Not a lot, but enough for 3-4 loops around the hold. Needed it about 50% of the time. Most airports I fly to are nothing like LHR and when CAVOK, plog fuel is sufficient. If the weather is marginal, I am not afraid to take as much if not more than I think I need. My goal is land at destination and not divert. I agree with you.