Fuel Planning - P-5530058

JOINT ADVANCED MULTI-ENGINE T-44A

Enroute Weather Facilities.

Ensure your weather forecast is updated at least once enroute on all cross-country flights. It is often better

to divert to your alternate early in the flight, rather than pressing on with decreasing reserves. Utilize

military PMSV (pilot-to metro), FSS, or EFAS (Enroute Flight Advisory Service, "Flight Watch") as

appropriate. Flight Watch frequencies are 122.0 below FL180 and as published on the cover of the enroute

chart FL 180 and above. Avoid requesting weather information directly from Center if possible. In

sparsely populated areas, or at low altitude, you may need to transmit on VHF and receive over a VOR.

The frequency will be annotated with an "R", indicating "receive only". In this case, it is imperative that

you specify which frequency you are transmitting on and which VOR you are listening to.

NOTE: All pilots are encouraged to provide pilot reports (PIREPs) of weather conditions to the utmost extent

possible.

C. Fuel Planning.

Always ensure the appropriate fuel packet is on the aircraft if flying off-station and anticipating the aircraft

will be re-fueled. A multi-engine fuel log is required for all cross-country flights. A flight computer should

be available enroute for computing updated fuel requirements based on actual aircraft performance. If an

alternate is not required, there must be fuel to fly from takeoff to destination airfield, plus a reserve of 10%

of planned fuel requirements; if an alternate is required, there must be fuel to fly from takeoff to the

destination IAF and then to an alternate airfield, plus reserve of 10% of planned fuel requirements. In no

case shall the planned fuel reserve (after final landing at destination or alternate) be less than 20 minutes.

For turbine powered fixed-wing aircraft, compute reserve fuel consumption based on maximum endurance

at 10,000'. The minimum on-deck fuel requirement is 265 pounds per side (yellow arcs) which will typically

be the most restrictive fuel reserve requirement.

Emergency/Minimum Fuel State. The term "minimum fuel" is advisory only in that it merely indicates an

emergency situation is possible should any undue delay occur. In the T-44, consider yourself to be

minimum fuel anytime the fuel quantity indicators indicate a level resulting in being airborne with the

needles below the top of the yellow arc. Consider requesting short vectors to final if IMC or a visual

approach if VMC. If the remaining usable fuel supply suggests the need for traffic priority to ensure a safe

landing, you should declare an emergency due to low fuel and report fuel remaining in minutes.

Emergency fuel will vary with the situation (weather, open airports, available NAVAIDs, etc.) and

typically is declared when approximately 30 minutes of fuel remain.

D. Flight Plans.

The answer to almost all questions about how to properly file a flight plan can be answered in General

Planning Chapter Four. Examples are provided and detailed instructions for each block are specified. You

normally will have no problem choosing your own route of flight from NGP to your destination and then

being "cleared as filed" (note preferred routing is posted in Base Operations for NGP departures and

arrivals). Be aware preferred IFR routes have been established between busier airports to facilitate traffic

flow, so it may be worth the effort to reference AP/1 for the preferred routing. IFR clearances are generally

issued on the basis of these routes, unless severe weather or some other reason dictates otherwise.

Enroute Planning. Preflight planning of the enroute portion should be adequate to ensure a safe and

efficient flight. When filing direct IFR routes, plan the route to avoid prohibited areas, restricted areas, and

MOAs by a minimum of 3 NM, unless permission has been obtained to operate in that airspace and the

appropriate ATC facilities advised. Whenever a MOA is active (usually daylight hours on weekdays), an

IFR clearance through the area will not normally be issued. Numerous MOAs exist in Texas and are not

depicted on high enroute charts. Be prepared to accept IFR routing around active areas. In the past,

Houston Center has vectored CNATRA IFR traffic through active T-45 MOAs; be leery of accepting such

a clearance in the absence of contact with participating aircraft.

Change of Flight Plan Enroute. Enroute changes to the flight plan are generally easy to make and usually

can be accomplished directly with ARTCC (weather avoidance or route changes with same destination). If

a change in the flight plan is complicated, involves airspace through multiple ARTCC facilities, or the

ARTCC workload is heavy, the change may have to be filed with FSS.

RADIO INSTRUMENTS STAGE

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