TFC Holding Fuel

[tik_nat]

Hi all,

Studying for my IREX and had a question regarding TFC holding after reading CAAP 234-1 (extract below...relevant part in bold)

4.1 When calculating the amount of fuel that may be required
for a particular flight, allowance should always be made for the
additional fuel that might be required because of:
(a) forecast weather conditions en route and the
additional fuel that is consumed during flight in icing
conditions;
(b) planned air traffic control routing (including departure
and arrival procedures);
(c) any delays resulting from traffic holding notified for:
(i) where an alternate aerodrome is required — that
alternate aerodrome; or
(ii) where an alternate aerodrome is not required —
the destination aerodrome;
(d) contingencies of the kind referred to in section 8 in
this CAAP.

So, take the below scenario.

You are planning to destination A, for which an alternate (destination B) is required. Both destination A and destination B have TFC holding advisories.
Am I (disregarding fuel for approaches, missed approaches and any variable or fixed holding) legally required to carry;

1. Fuel to get to A + TFC holding at A + fuel to divert to B + TFC holding at B
or
2. Fuel to get to A + fuel to divert to B + TFC holding at B

From my interpretation of CAAP, I would chose option 2.

If this is incorrect, don't bother reading on, but if this is correct, then, consider the following if I take option 2:

- if I arrive at destination A and am advised that I am required to hold for TFC, do I need to divert immediately?
If not, then:
- I remain at A and hold for TFC at which point something happens (navaid failure, lighting failure etc.) which requires me to divert to B. I now will arrive at B without TFC holding. Do I need to declare an emergency and if so do I need to declare it when I first commence my divert, or once I find out that there will be holding for TFC at B?

I'm asking this from the point of view of legalities and the "IREX" answer, as opposed to what you would/could do when applying prudent airmanship.

OR......am I overthinking this!!!!!

[bentleg]

I also choose 2. In this situation, upon arrival at A, I would make an on the spot assessment whether holding will get me in, and if not certain, then divert to B and hold there if required. (I was taught to make a decision to divert on arrival, not after holding).

Having decided to hold at A, if there was a subsequent navaid failure during the hold which forced me to divert to B, upon diverting I would inform ATC that if on arrival at B, I have to hold, I will be declaring a fuel emergency.

[tik_nat]

Thanks bentleg.

What you describe makes sense to me. I've tripped up once or twice in the practice exams trying to apply the "what would I do" model when there has been confusion or ambiguity in the question. I've resorted to thinking like a lawyer vice a pilot!!

[spocky]

The practicality of these scenarios is that you require fuel for both. I know its a crappy exam question, but in the real world we take fuel for both because we ideally want to arrive at our planned destination !! Thats what we get paid for !!

Remember fuel is your friend !!

[JustJoinedToSearch]

The answer the IREX wants is to divert to B immediately.

Although from memory I only had 1 or 2 questions like this when I did it so it wasn't a huge proportion of the exam.

Edit: Oh, and there is no such thing as overthinking when it comes to the IREX.

On a general note easily the most important thing to do is RFTQ, then read it again, then maybe 2 more times.

Just because you've had 10 questions all being "AWIS is unserviceable, determine minima (i.e. not subtract 100')" that doesn't mean the last one won't be "TAF is unavailable (i.e. not subtract 100' but also add 50')"

I'll always remember that stuff up because it was the only one I got wrong

As long as you've done a few practice exams the IREX isn't overly difficult. It's all in the AIP.

Good luck