Fuel Saving Landing
Requirements:
- Manual landing, at VREF, only
- Minimum of one autothrottle operative at start of approach
- Contingency power available
- Specific fuel distribution achieved
- Record in Maintenance Log
Not permitted with:
- Slippery runway
- Precipitation covered runway
- 3-engine ferry
- 2-engine approach and landing
- Reduced noise approach
- Fuelled with wide-cut fuel
- Secondary nozzle locked out
- Brake unit isolated
- Total loss of Electric Trim
- Total loss of Pitch Stab
- Total loss of Electrical Signalling
- Suspected tyre failure
Notes
3-engine landings were permitted. For all landings the landing gear would be lowered earlier than normal to ensure the brakes were stone cold to start with, maximum reverse thrust would be used on landing, and braking modulated so as to use (nearly) all of the full length of the runway. Landing performance figures at 130,000 kgs were in the performance manual for most runways. Any runway for which this procedure had not been pre-authorised required some rather tedious calculations, using the generalised basic data and graphs found in the performance manual.
If manual performance calculations were necessary, the F/E and I usually seemed to find that another problem that required our urgent and undivided attention had come up, and we would reluctantly be compelled to hand over all the manuals, charts and graphs for the F/O to perform the calculations!
If the aircraft had an AFT ZFW CG (perhaps loaded with a lot of heavy bags in the rear hold), and given the specific fuel distribution requirements for a fuel saving landing, it was possible that the landing weight might have to be reduced below 130,000 kgs, in order to achieve a landing CG of 53.5%.
After landing, record the actual landing weight in the Maintenance Log using code 2899XXOO, sign it, and then leg it swiftly, to avoid
M2Dude and the boys, who somehow always managed to imply that you were responsible for anything that had gone wrong with their pride and joy since they last handed her over to you!
Reasons
The clue is in the name! A possible saving of roughly 5,200 gallons of fuel, nearly 19,000 kgs, which need not be jettisoned, thus reducing the time spent in the air before re-landing, fuel costs and pollution.
Best Regards
Bellerophon