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Old 29th Mar 2016, 10:53
  #60 (permalink)  
BEagle
 
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Quite near 'An aerodrome somewhere in England'
Posts: 26,817
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Tengah Type, I have an early start the following day, so am not sure about TBs on the 14th.

I do hope that the tranquillity of your bible-reading evening wasn't disturbed by any sounds from nearby rooms....

Out of interest, a trail plan I've recently been assessing required a tanker to fly across Europe, RV with 3 Typhoons on their way home, then cast them off before offering 45 min opportunity training to any 'on call' receivers in an AARA before landing.

Put the route in and the answer was that, without any receivers, the route required 36675 kg with 85% stat met and normal contingency fuel. Add receivers and the figure became 62382 kg with 85% stat met and normal contingency. A prudent tanker commander would elect to take more fuel to allow for wotifs, but other factors have to be considered - with average met of the day (50% stat met), the figure became 61064 kg. 'Fill it up' wouldn't be possible due to RW perf. limits; if the tanker was too heavy then the planned transit altitude might be too high and any advantage wasted.

Personally, I would have taken 66000 kg - a reasonably prudent surplus and enough for a little opportunity training. If the Typhoons had been late off and put pedal to the metal to make the RV time instead of asking for the tanker to delay at the RVIP (as a bunch of F3s once did to me....), then bin the AARA and there would still be enough to meet the trail task when contingency, planned extra and no AARA time was added together - about 8500 kg or over an hour's extra fuel for each of the receivers.
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