Estimate Fuel Required

CHAPTER ONE

LOW-LEVEL AND TACTICAL FORMATION

route description for IR 166. Note that NAS Kingsville is the Scheduling Activity for this route.

Coordinates are provided for each point and the corridor width is 5 NM (3 NM from I to J).

Acceptable altitudes during the route are from the surface to 3000 feet MSL. Pay special

attention to the Special Operating Procedures section for any additional restrictions that may

apply. If an appropriate MTR does not exist, a local route may be developed. Local routes are

designed to increase the flexibility of the missions and meet training objectives. They may be

published or unfamiliar routes. Published routes, developed by the stage manager and

distributed to everyone, may be MTRs or locally developed routes. Unfamiliar routes are local

routes designed with the intent of being flown only once and are usually developed by the

student and flown for their checkrides. Weather must be 1500/3 to fly a local route.

Estimate Fuel Required. When selecting a low-level route, consider the total fuel required to

take off, climb to altitude, cruise to the entry or alternate entry point, fly the route(s), climb to

altitude again, cruise to destination IAF, execute a penetration and landing, plus reserve and

required alternate fuel. Estimating the fuel required prior to the actual planning of the low-level

may save you time and effort.

Coordinate and Schedule the Route. When you schedule a route (may not be required for

local routes), tell the scheduler your planned entry and exit times (Z), total time on route,

groundspeed, type aircraft, call sign, and your name and phone number. Once scheduled, you

own the route during that time period, but only during that time period. For example: to

schedule MTRs in the local area, contact Kingsville Base Ops and provide the following

information: route number, time of entry, call sign, exit time, type of aircraft, and PIC. If you

are unable to meet your entry time, you must reschedule by contacting Kingsville Base Ops.

Consult the AP/1B maps to identify crossing routes. It is a good idea to call the schedulers of

crossing routes to check for potential conflicts along your route.

Check the Weather and NOTAMS. A preliminary look at weather and NOTAMs is next.

Give the weather forecaster an accurate description of your proposed route. For day routes, ask

for winds at 500 feet AGL and for night routes, use 1500 feet AGL. Ensure that you are briefed

on the forecast weather for the entire route and divert fields. The minimum weather to fly an IR

or VR route is 3000/5; SR and locally published routes require 1500/3. The weather minimums

for flying night low-levels will be the highest leg altitude plus 500 feet. Check NOTAMS for

arrival and departure airfields.

Choose the Appropriate Chart. The paragraph titled "Choose an MTR" describes different

navigational charts and the features of each. The chart you choose for your LL depends upon the

degree of detail necessary to complete the mission. Different charts will be required for different

types of missions. As a general rule, the greater the altitude, speed and distance of a flight, the

smaller scale of the chart. The type of information needed on the chart may determine the best

chart to use. Some missions may require two or more types of charts. For example, a mission

will typically require a TPC for the route and a JOG for the run-in to provide more detail.

To prevent misunderstandings about references on the chart, ensure all crewmembers use the

same scale chart. Be aware that different charts will show different references for the same

checkpoint (a road "Y" on a TPC may appear as a road "X" on a JOG).

1-6 LOW-LEVEL NAVIGATION