Sassy….Poo Prawn is going to love you!!
From your first paragraph, it would seem there is a whole bunch of guys/girls flying around the GOM in multi-engine singles!!!
If you enter the OEI configuration in these machines….you can’t land on a deck, and with no return fuel??....splash.
Surely no pilot in a medium twin in the OEI configuration, would consider using an Offshore Helideck to land on??...what a recipe for a fiery ball.
I would also think that no respected owner of an Oil Platform would invite you to crash on his deck and set fire to his home, because you didn’t take enough fuel when you left your home!!!
Our fuel policy on a normal two hour IFR sortie is:
Flight fuel, + 10% Variable of your flight fuel, + 30 minutes Fixed Reserve.
[Flightfuel: is the total outbound and inbound fuel without landing offshore]
You must always carry enough fuel to get you to a land based suitable flat area….[the size, surface is specified in the B412 RFM]
When you land offshore with AEO, you can then burn that unused 10% Variable of the outbound leg as deck fuel. As the return flight is considered a new leg, the Variable on that leg will only be 10% of the return leg only….classic case of making fuel!
"Reprinted from another thread….
Presently we utilize three limitations when operating 412's as far as AUW is concerned. Our Restricted Take Off Weight [RTOW] must be the lesser of:
1. MTOW [11900 lbs]
2. WAT Chart [Limitations Section of the RFM]
3. OEI capacity at MC or 30 mins to maintain zero % climb gradient at 500 agl [VFR]..... or 1% climb gradient at LSALT in IFR."
Its interesting to note the times folk don’t heed the WAT Chart Limitation…..its a limitation of the RFM.
With the fuel policy of carrying return fuel, plus the above three RTOW Limitations…………..we feel comfortable that should a PT6 fail at any time, we should have the fuel and performance to arrive safely home.