va fuel mayday
hello cobbler,
i don't want to speculate on "cheating" on your fuel status in flight, because, if you do, you are breaking/bending the rules, which is not good of course.
but lets talk about fuel management in flight, which is different from fuel planning in the briefing room.
taken your example with a fuel decision over goodwood:case 1) overflying this point you must have as minimum fuel on board:-approach fuel from goodwood to missed approach+chosen alternate fuel(long range cruise) + final reserve(30min at 1500ft agl). i think the va flight was in this situation, because the pilot( supposedly honest), told atc , he didn't have the 10min extra hold fuel over goodwood & it was either divert to lhr or to proceed for a landing in lgw.
now case 2) regulation & some cie sops allow the pilot to convert/burn his alternate fuel in holding over destination(here goodwood), IF the pilot decides it is safer to hold than to divert considering weather factors, expected approach time etc. the flight is then committed to landing in lgw & atc is informed e.g." gatwick radar, yes, we can accept 10min holding but are now committed to lgw, max holding time = ... min(time to burn your alternate fuel at holding speed). for info, here we are still in a normal fuel scenario
case 3) holding over goodwood( >10min & at a time where almost all of your alternate fuel is consumed & still no approach clearance)) you are " approaching" your absolute minimorum fuel status: approach fuel + final reserve(30min). you then call atc: " lgw, approaching minimum fuel, request priority landig". for info, this is still no pan or mayday call, because, if you get now your approach clearance, the regs only ask you to touch down with 30mins in the tanks. that some sweathing is going on in the cockpit at this time looks more than probable.
case 4) from bad to worse: still no approach clearance & you see that you are passing the point where you have on board less than approach & 30min fuel. you now enter the world of a full blown low fuel emergency situation. to atc " lgw, va..., mayday 3x,fuel emergency, ... pobs, 25min fuel endurance left, request immediate vectors for landing". if totally unlikely, by then you still have no clearance, you just dive for the runway & land, using your emergency authority:" inflight captain is last authorithy etc... & may deviate from all rules & clearances in the interest of safety".
i agree, this is a worst case scenario & used to explain the different aspects of it, but still 100% legal, but i admit nerve wrecking.