IFR fuel reserves

mshunter said:
Unless SOP's require otherwise, there are only two times you will ever have too much fuel. When your overweight or on fire. I don't ever plan on being either. If I land with an extra 2 hours of fuel, so be it. I'd rather "tanker" it around than run out.

As far as the OP, just figure it safe to assume that if your on an IFR flight plan, have 45mins left when you land at your alternate.
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:yeahthat:Regardless of the discussion that has transpired since the original question, I agree with what the hunter is saying. 30 or 45 minutes reserve isn't that big of a difference so better to err on the side of caution and have the extra 15 minutes of gas.
 
mshunter said:
As far as the OP, just figure it safe to assume that if your on an IFR flight plan, have 45mins left when you land at your alternate.
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Do I have to land with my reserve? Should I declare an emergency if I burn into my reserve? Min fuel? Have I broken a regulation by burning my reserve? Should I submit a report?

Assumptions are not my friend.

I only have to plan for 45 minutes of reserve, I don't have to land with 45 minutes of fuel.
 
bLizZuE said:
Do I have to land with my reserve? Should I declare an emergency if I burn into my reserve? Min fuel? Have I broken a regulation by burning my reserve? Should I submit a report?
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The legal counsel has already "ruled" on such questions.:)

-mini
 
What about getting a special VFR clearance, since it's below standard VFR In most airspace would that be IFR reserves?
 
bLizZuE said:
Do I have to land with my reserve? Should I declare an emergency if I burn into my reserve? Min fuel? Have I broken a regulation by burning my reserve? Should I submit a report?

Assumptions are not my friend.

I only have to plan for 45 minutes of reserve, I don't have to land with 45 minutes of fuel.
Click to expand...


I'm afraid most FAA inspectors would disagree with you here. If you were operating under IFR, got ramp checked at your destination, and only had 20 minutes of fuel remaining in your tanks you would have some serious explaining to do. If you are needing to dip into your reserve fuel you either planned something wrong of you should be declaring minimum fuel to ATC. Not my opinion, the opinion of ASIs from FSDO that I have talked to.
 
Inverted said:
What about getting a special VFR clearance, since it's below standard VFR In most airspace would that be IFR reserves?
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WsXlQo1Pco0gcgjytBjOEykGo1_r1_400.gif

OH NO YOU DI INT!

-mini
 
chuckles1225 said:
I'm afraid most FAA inspectors would disagree with you here. If you were operating under IFR, got ramp checked at your destination, and only had 20 minutes of fuel remaining in your tanks you would have some serious explaining to do. If you are needing to dip into your reserve fuel you either planned something wrong of you should be declaring minimum fuel to ATC. Not my opinion, the opinion of ASIs from FSDO that I have talked to.
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Read that letter of interpretation posted earlier in the thread.

Planning. I can very easily show the inspector where I had planned to arrive with plenty of fuel.
 
Bandit_Driver said:
That's tight in my book...I personally want no less than 1 hr if at all possible.
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Agree 100% with you here. All of this talk about 30 min fuel reserves makes me cringe. I want to be able to fly to the next state to find VFR conditions if I need to *complete electrical failure.
 
chuckles1225 said:
I'm afraid most FAA inspectors would disagree with you here. If you were operating under IFR, got ramp checked at your destination, and only had 20 minutes of fuel remaining in your tanks you would have some serious explaining to do. If you are needing to dip into your reserve fuel you either planned something wrong of you should be declaring minimum fuel to ATC. Not my opinion, the opinion of ASIs from FSDO that I have talked to.
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I don't sweat what someone from a FSDO says. It's the legal counsel I want to hear from.

"Next you ask when a pilot may advise "minimum fuel" to air traffic control (ATC) without violating § 91.167. The regulations do not define "minimum fuel," but in guidance material, the FAA has described the term to mean:"

http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org...nterpretations/data/interps/2009/Negron-2.pdf
-mini
 
You guys that say you want at least an hour reserves have no idea how impractical that is in most aircraft.
 
chuckles1225 said:
Agree 100% with you here. All of this talk about 30 min fuel reserves makes me cringe. I want to be able to fly to the next state to find VFR conditions if I need to *complete electrical failure.
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I like to plan on 600# for a reserve. That's just under an hour at normal cruise (roughly 720pph - which is what the FAA wants), but nowhere near that down low.

Now, if I'm going to an island or somewhere that I'd have to go a long way to find an airport, I'll consider that and bump the fuel. Normally, we never leave the Eastern Time Zone, so if I needed to divert last minute (had to the other day), I've got lots of good options.

-mini

PS Speaking of last minute diverts.

Unless you go sliding off the end of the runway, it's not "nil". Saying "nil" only stops me from trying to get in. Thanks a lot.
 
Inverted said:
You guys that say you want at least an hour reserves have no idea how impractical that is in most aircraft.
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I wanted to say this, but couldn't articulate it the way I wanted.

I have done training flights in the Arrow with 4 persons on board. We were right at the edge of just barely having enough fuel. If I had wanted more than the required reserves I wouldn't have been able to complete most of my flights.
 
bLizZuE said:
Read that letter of interpretation posted earlier in the thread.

Planning. I can very easily show the inspector where I had planned to arrive with plenty of fuel.
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I'm just telling you the interpretation that I have gotten from the FAA...recently. From the people actually out there doing the ramp checks.

And as far as your planning-I'm sure nobody ever plans to run out of fuel, yet so many people do. The FAA does not care what you planned they care about what actually happened.

EX:
Pilot: "I'm sorry Mr. FAA Inspector I did not mean to fly into the class B, I got disoriented. Look here at my sectional, the line I drew goes around the airspace not through it."

FAA: "That's nice...you can have your certificate back in 90 days sir."
 
bLizZuE said:
I wanted to say this, but couldn't articulate it the way I wanted.

I have done training flights in the Arrow with 4 persons on board. We were right at the edge of just barely having enough fuel. If I had wanted more than the required reserves I wouldn't have been able to complete most of my flights.
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I could just see the look on the chief pilot's face when I say "yeah, I'd love to take an extra 100 pounds of revenue generating freight, but I need an hour fuel reserve tonight".

Not good.

Less fuel = less weight = climb higher = lower power settings at cruise = better on the engines = much cheaper.

However, never sacrifice safety for operating cost.

-mini
 
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