| Delta Virtual Airlines Water Cooler | Airline Operations |
Winds ALoft |
DVA7829
Captain, CRJ-200
Joined on July 08 2006
Century Club
Midwestern United States
107 legs, 151.1 hours
101 legs,
138.4 hours ACARS
|
Posted onPost created on
October 19 2009 09:05 ET by Gary Locke
|
Being a real life Aircraft Dispatcher, and using real world weather when I fly, I have noticed last week when the jetstream was over the northern US, flying westward I was bucking headwinds, and the fuel load I planned was barely sufficient, but flying eastward I was way over due to the tailwinds.
Has anyone else dealt with this? And is there a program that will take this in account when planning a flight?
|
DVA7373
Captain, B757-200
OLP
Joined on May 31 2009
"Howdy"
Southeastern United States
72 legs, 187.6 hours
32 legs,
85.4 hours online
67 legs,
153.2 hours ACARS
2 legs,
3.1 hours event
|
Posted onPost created on
October 19 2009 09:22 ET by Nicholas Taylor
|
Gary, if you use ACARS, there is a fuel planning section in which you configure your fuel (it has an option for headwind compensation) and it will even load it onto the aircraft for you.
Nicholas TaylorCaptain, B757-200
|
|
DVA3809
First Officer, B767-300
OLP
Joined on December 12 2006
Online Century Club
Triple Century Club
East Petersburg, PA USA
329 legs, 829.1 hours
124 legs,
239.2 hours online
291 legs,
767.0 hours ACARS
25 legs,
52.9 hours event
|
Posted onPost created on
October 19 2009 09:28 ET by Garen Evans
|
There are two online possibilities. One is fltplan.com and the other is flightaware.com - either one will display routes at various altitudes, highlight lowest fuel burn (or lowest cost), and let you choose the one you want. You will have to set up an account and configure your aircraft, though. There's a review of the flghtaware's planner here: http://aerotexas.blogspot.com/2008/11/flightawares-flight-planner-first.html
|
DVA5204
Captain, MD-11
Joined on November 11 2007
Century Club
"Aviate, Navigate, Communicate."
Southeastern United States
113 legs, 494.9 hours
109 legs,
485.4 hours ACARS
|
Posted onPost created on
October 19 2009 12:41 ET by Nathan Harwood
|
I used to use FSBuild and ActiveSky to provide winds aloft data and calculate that into the flight plan to be very precise but I've found that I can get accurate enough on my own with the use of the FMS computer (I don't fly freeware) and the equation below.
Trip Fuel (time x fuel burn) + Wind Adjustment (use 40kts headwind if you don't have the actual data to be safe) + Trip Fuel to Alternate + Contingency Fuel (holds, 2 missed approaches, long taxi etc, 30 minutes is normal) + Captain's / Tanker Fuel (optional but from zero to 30 minutes is normal) + FAR Reserve (minimum fuel on board = 45 minutes at cruise or 10% of trip fuel whichever is greater) + Taxi Fuel (20min of 40% cruise burn) = Plan Fuel Requried
|
DVA1038
Captain, B737-800
E-MAIL
Joined on January 12 2003
Century Club
"Celer, Silens, Mortalis"
Summerville, SC USA
169 legs, 1,008.2 hours
56 legs,
288.5 hours online
25 legs,
221.2 hours ACARS
1 legs,
5.0 hours event
|
Posted onPost created on
October 19 2009 16:42 ET by Kevin Cornish
|
I usualy plan a fuel burn of 12k lbs per hour for the time listed in the flight schedule and an 1.5 hr reserve also at 12k lbs per hour. That usualy gets me where I'm going with about 20-25k lbs left onboard.
Kevin CornishCaptain, B737-800
|
|
DVA6688
Captain, L-1011-100
Joined on November 22 2008
Beaverton, OR USA
98 legs, 194.6 hours
93 legs,
187.0 hours online
86 legs,
177.7 hours ACARS
1 legs,
1.8 hours event
|
Posted onPost created on
October 19 2009 21:46 ET by Scott Ring
|
Cant you plan your flight at work? or call in and have your co-workers do it? 
|
DVA5204
Captain, MD-11
Joined on November 11 2007
Century Club
"Aviate, Navigate, Communicate."
Southeastern United States
113 legs, 494.9 hours
109 legs,
485.4 hours ACARS
|
Posted onPost created on
October 20 2009 00:05 ET by Nathan Harwood
|
Just don't try to use 12k lbs per hour burn rate on a CRJ, or an MD11. 
Of course Scott's advice came to mind too!
|
DVA7829
Captain, CRJ-200
Joined on July 08 2006
Century Club
Midwestern United States
107 legs, 151.1 hours
101 legs,
138.4 hours ACARS
|
Posted onPost created on
October 20 2009 19:25 ET by Gary Locke
|
I wish I could call into work, but I will not go there.
Nicholas, I was just reading that in the ACARS manual, and of course when I was working the flight yesterday in question I could not find that portion of the handout, to calculate the winds
|
DVA7373
Captain, B757-200
OLP
Joined on May 31 2009
"Howdy"
Southeastern United States
72 legs, 187.6 hours
32 legs,
85.4 hours online
67 legs,
153.2 hours ACARS
2 legs,
3.1 hours event
|
Posted onPost created on
October 20 2009 19:27 ET by Nicholas Taylor
|
Gary, when you load up and you're ready to start the flight in ACARS, go to Flight > Load fuel tanks. Fill out the information and there is a box for headwind component.
Nicholas TaylorCaptain, B757-200
|
|
DVA1038
Captain, B737-800
E-MAIL
Joined on January 12 2003
Century Club
"Celer, Silens, Mortalis"
Summerville, SC USA
169 legs, 1,008.2 hours
56 legs,
288.5 hours online
25 legs,
221.2 hours ACARS
1 legs,
5.0 hours event
|
Posted onPost created on
October 20 2009 20:08 ET by Kevin Cornish
|
LOL Scott. I should have clarified that. I was refering to the 767. Ment to use it as an example.
Kevin CornishCaptain, B737-800
|
|
