We are sliding away from BC's thread here, but.....
Originally Posted by Doug E
that's for people other than myself (an ordinary line pilot) to bother themselves with but as long as I have a sensible amount of fuel for the flight, given the prevailing conditions, I don't really care which column that fuel is in.
- well, think about it - it can be an 'aid' for those who find themselves 'under pressure' ( erm - no names...) through loading 'extra' when if expressed as an increased trip fuel (and, of course justified) it can sometimes ring less bells.
Although 'somewhat aged' (like me) this was the CAA advice in 2000 with the relevant bit highlighted, when it was 'common practice' to increase contingency for this purpose, which is not, of course, what it is for:
SPECIAL OBJECTIVE CHECK ON AIR OPERATORS' FUEL PLANNING POLICIES - SUMMER 2000
1 Introduction
1.1 A Special Objective Check (SaC) on UK air operators' fuel planning policies was carried out in the Summer of 2000. The sac also asked questions which reflected concerns raised in letters to the Confidential Human Factors Incident Reporting Programme (CHIRP).
4.3.3 AIC 36/1998 recommends that adequate reserves of fuel should be carried when intending to land in the UK at certain airfields where delays should be expected at times when the associated terminal areas will be busy. This AIC had been re-issued because it again became apparent that too many aeroplanes continued to arrive in the vicinity of their planned destination with little more than Alternate and Final Reserve Fuel remaining. Concern remains that this message has still not been acted upon to the extent envisaged: in late September 2000 one controller dealt with three fuel shortage PAN calls in one shift.
4.3.4 Recommendation 2 Operators should review their fuel policies to ensure that adequate provision is made either through their computer programs or by adjustments made by aircraft commanders or dispatchers (acting in accordance with guidance or instructions specified in operations manuals) for the Trip Fuel to include, where appropriate, fuel for use in holding prior to commencing the approach when there is reason to believe that this will occur. An example of such circumstances can be found in AIC 36/1998 (Pink 170).
leder - again 'out of date', but from an AIC (PINK 82/2003) at a time (again) when certain 'foreign' airlines were pushing fuel carriage somewhat:
3.1 'No delay expected' means in these circumstances:
'Do not anticipate being required to remain in a holding pattern longer than 20 minutes before commencing an approach'.
3.2 Where a delay greater than 20 minutes is expected, the controller will pass an EAT. When delays are expected to be less than 20 minutes, controllers will, when requested, give a general indication of the expected delay.
4 Traffic situations in the terminal areas can change very quickly even though 'No delay expected' will often mean precisely that,
crews should expect that on occasions some holding will be required before they are fitted into the final approach pattern.
5 It is important, therefore, that operators and crews should take a realistic view of the amount of fuel required, to satisfy the
minimum fuel overhead destination requirements.
I suspect both publications may have been 'massaged away' by pressure from operators, and please don't all shout "it's all out of date" because I need convincing that life has changed so much!