Post by volkerboehme on Jun 13, 2010 2:00:33 GMT -5
*********************** Fuel Planning Notes for the Starliner *************************
There is a lot of help in the Read Before Flight text file in the FSAviator FD package that you should read first.
After that, keep in mind the following information:
To open the FE/Nav Notepad, right click on the notepad image at the far right of the panel, to the right of the VOR1 gauge and just below the radios. To open the Pilot's Notepad right click the image.
The Starliner did not have the ability to fly from Los Angeles or San Francisco to London , or back again, without help from tailwinds. If your destination is beyond, (or even close to), nil wind maximum range the fuel planner will generate a CAPACITY! warning to warn you to;
a) load maximum fuel (full tanks), and
b) execute the entire flight using only Econ Cruise power to maximise nil wind range
In this case, (and only in this case), click the Normal Cruise words to invoke Econ Cruise planning. The range available from full tanks using only Econ Cruise power will then be recalculated and compared again to the route distance. If the CAPACITY! warning still shows you must plan to somewhere closer and plan to refuel.
For instance departing Los Angeles you might plan to Prestwick rather than London. During the subsequent flight, if the winds are favorable and you have enough fuel to proceed to London when approaching TOD for Prestwick, you will divert to London. If the winds are not favorable you must descend to refuel at Prestwick as planned. If the actual winds turn out to be very unfavorable you may need to refuel in Canada, Greenland or Iceland. Westbound you will always need to flight plan to an inland US destination (Las Vegas, for example) rather than the west coast, but where you actually land will again depend on the winds actually encountered. If you use real weather, flying westbound you will often make a stop short of even your planned destination due to headwinds.
During subsequent execution of the flight the notepad will warn you in real time if your route fuel will be exhausted before your ETA for destination (red warning) and you will get an orange Fuel is LOW! warning as a caution if the fuel situation is deteriorating towards critical. You may also receive Perceived Headwind warnings, indicating that recent cruising speed (KTS) has been at least 15% below planned cruising velocity (KTAS). This may be caused by headwinds and a combination of other factors. You must respond as follows.
Any flight except a polar flight: subject to high terrain ahead, increase power by one setting and descend to a lower semi circular cruising level. Potentially to a much lower level where the mandated higher MAP of the next higher power setting can be generated. Such warnings are most likely to occur early in the flight when you are still heavy with fuel. If the warning persists for more than a further 20 minutes after adjusting power and cruising level, subject to terrain ahead, a further power increase and/or descent becomes appropriate. Once the warning ceases step climbing should be resumed in 2000 foot steps, not less than 20 minutes apart, subject to terrain ahead. Power should then be reduced by one cruise setting each 20 minutes until power is back to 'normal' cruise power.
If flying a polar flight (and thus going to Econ Cruise power at FL150/160); you *will* receive a Significant Perceived Headwind warning soon after leveling off. This is due to your premature leveling off to maximize range. You should NOT respond to this early warning by increasing your power setting. While these ETA and headwind warnings may be generated early in the flight, conditions will typically improve (fuel burns off and you fly faster, you start flying higher, etc.) and these warnings may end. However, *if they persist* (i.e. you have not found significant tailwinds) you must divert to somewhere far short of planned destination. You might for instance divert to refuel at Frobisher Bay in Canada (now called Iqaluit: CYFB) having received persistent prior warning when proceeding in either direction.
Flying any flight, possible diversion to somewhere short of planned destination is (only) required if the warnings (or the Fuel LOW! warning) occurs late in the flight. There is then no time for the situation to improve. When a 0 Rte. Fuel @ warning is (still being) generated towards the end of the cruise phase you must decide very quickly whether you need to divert immediately. These late phase warnings are all about how to use your diversion reserve; whether as 45 minutes of extra route fuel to original destination, or to divert. That depends on the weather at your alternate(s) as much as the weather at destination. All of the 45 minute diversion reserve is intact until the red warning appears. From that moment on the diversion reserve is being consumed. The decision you must make is what to use it for. That decision needs to be made while the Fuel is LOW! warning is still orange and before TOD.
Tom Gibson and FSAviator
There is a lot of help in the Read Before Flight text file in the FSAviator FD package that you should read first.
After that, keep in mind the following information:
To open the FE/Nav Notepad, right click on the notepad image at the far right of the panel, to the right of the VOR1 gauge and just below the radios. To open the Pilot's Notepad right click the image.
The Starliner did not have the ability to fly from Los Angeles or San Francisco to London , or back again, without help from tailwinds. If your destination is beyond, (or even close to), nil wind maximum range the fuel planner will generate a CAPACITY! warning to warn you to;
a) load maximum fuel (full tanks), and
b) execute the entire flight using only Econ Cruise power to maximise nil wind range
In this case, (and only in this case), click the Normal Cruise words to invoke Econ Cruise planning. The range available from full tanks using only Econ Cruise power will then be recalculated and compared again to the route distance. If the CAPACITY! warning still shows you must plan to somewhere closer and plan to refuel.
For instance departing Los Angeles you might plan to Prestwick rather than London. During the subsequent flight, if the winds are favorable and you have enough fuel to proceed to London when approaching TOD for Prestwick, you will divert to London. If the winds are not favorable you must descend to refuel at Prestwick as planned. If the actual winds turn out to be very unfavorable you may need to refuel in Canada, Greenland or Iceland. Westbound you will always need to flight plan to an inland US destination (Las Vegas, for example) rather than the west coast, but where you actually land will again depend on the winds actually encountered. If you use real weather, flying westbound you will often make a stop short of even your planned destination due to headwinds.
During subsequent execution of the flight the notepad will warn you in real time if your route fuel will be exhausted before your ETA for destination (red warning) and you will get an orange Fuel is LOW! warning as a caution if the fuel situation is deteriorating towards critical. You may also receive Perceived Headwind warnings, indicating that recent cruising speed (KTS) has been at least 15% below planned cruising velocity (KTAS). This may be caused by headwinds and a combination of other factors. You must respond as follows.
Any flight except a polar flight: subject to high terrain ahead, increase power by one setting and descend to a lower semi circular cruising level. Potentially to a much lower level where the mandated higher MAP of the next higher power setting can be generated. Such warnings are most likely to occur early in the flight when you are still heavy with fuel. If the warning persists for more than a further 20 minutes after adjusting power and cruising level, subject to terrain ahead, a further power increase and/or descent becomes appropriate. Once the warning ceases step climbing should be resumed in 2000 foot steps, not less than 20 minutes apart, subject to terrain ahead. Power should then be reduced by one cruise setting each 20 minutes until power is back to 'normal' cruise power.
If flying a polar flight (and thus going to Econ Cruise power at FL150/160); you *will* receive a Significant Perceived Headwind warning soon after leveling off. This is due to your premature leveling off to maximize range. You should NOT respond to this early warning by increasing your power setting. While these ETA and headwind warnings may be generated early in the flight, conditions will typically improve (fuel burns off and you fly faster, you start flying higher, etc.) and these warnings may end. However, *if they persist* (i.e. you have not found significant tailwinds) you must divert to somewhere far short of planned destination. You might for instance divert to refuel at Frobisher Bay in Canada (now called Iqaluit: CYFB) having received persistent prior warning when proceeding in either direction.
Flying any flight, possible diversion to somewhere short of planned destination is (only) required if the warnings (or the Fuel LOW! warning) occurs late in the flight. There is then no time for the situation to improve. When a 0 Rte. Fuel @ warning is (still being) generated towards the end of the cruise phase you must decide very quickly whether you need to divert immediately. These late phase warnings are all about how to use your diversion reserve; whether as 45 minutes of extra route fuel to original destination, or to divert. That depends on the weather at your alternate(s) as much as the weather at destination. All of the 45 minute diversion reserve is intact until the red warning appears. From that moment on the diversion reserve is being consumed. The decision you must make is what to use it for. That decision needs to be made while the Fuel is LOW! warning is still orange and before TOD.
Tom Gibson and FSAviator