I am sure many of the old and bold on here will have a view on this, and will probably disagree with me, as I know that some of you disapprove of the way I am taught
So this is not a question, more something that I thought would get the Ppruners in discussion; I have now got my head around the working out and use of Fuel Circles for nav planning well enough to start a discussion on their useage.
So, picture your triangular navex route drawn on map. For a trip from base to Duxford and back via Grafham Water I have planned six fuel circles at points just after an "event" to check the fuel levels and diversion fuel. We can fly the trip on minimum 75 litres of fuel adn this is what I planned for (if it were the normal "Club fill" of 60 litres we would be into minus fuel!)
The figures I have (from base back to base) are:
72 62 52 47 39 35
57 47 37 32 24 20
The black figure is the amount of fuel which I still have to use. The bottom red figure is the Diversion fuel including FOG (in the Grob's case minimum FOG 15L.
The way to work out ones red fuel is to work out how many litres you are going to use to get to your destination (or furthest point on the navex). IN this case we would use 15 litres to reach Duxford. Therefore, 15 is taken off the last black figure and there you have the difference (in this case 15). Then you work backwards and take 15 (or whatever the difference is) off your black fuel to get your red fuel at that check point along your route. It has the advantage of being there on your chart and not having to check lots of paperwork.
Personally I think its a great system...would be interested to hear if anyone else is taught/teaches/was taught this method, or it is, as I suspect, a very useful military system; and one which I am very pleased to use...despite the incoming which I suspect will appear......
