Aero-Tips!
A good pilot is always learning -- how many times have you heard
this old standard throughout your flying career? There is no truer
statement in all of flying (well, with the possible exception of
"there are no old, bold pilots.") It's part of what makes aviation
so exciting for all of us... just when you think you've seen it
all, along comes a scenario you've never imagined.
Aero-News has called upon the expertise of Thomas P. Turner,
master CFI and all-around-good-guy, to bring our readers -- and us
-- daily tips to improve our skills as aviators, and as
representatives of the flying community. Some of them, you may have
heard before... but for each of us, there will also be something we
might never have considered before, or something that didn't
"stick" the way it should have the first time we memorized it for
the practical test.
It is our unabashed goal that "Aero-Tips" will help our readers
become better, safer pilots -- as well as introducing our
ground-bound readers to the concepts and principles that keep those
strange aluminum-and-composite contraptions in the air... and allow
them to soar magnificently through it.
Look for our daily Aero-Tips segments, coming each day to you
through the Aero-News Network. Suggestions for future Aero-Tips are
always welcome, as are additions or discussion of each day's tips.
Remember... when it comes to being better pilots, we're all in this
together.
Aero-Tips 05.17.06
We've spent the last
week reviewing factors affecting fuel consumption. Running out
of fuel is one of the leading causes of engine failure. Tragically,
fuel exhaustion is often fatal. It's absolutely vital to know how
to predict fuel requirements, monitor fuel use in flight, and
safely arrive with a substantial fuel reserve remaining.
Wrapping up what we've covered so far, here are the primary
factors that determine fuel burn:
FAA Advisory Circular 61-23C gives us
"official" guidance on anticipating fuel requirements, but the AC
presumes the fuel burn rate is constant. Cruise power charts alone
don't tell the story for an individual flight in a particular
aircraft. The only way you can accurately predict fuel requirements
is to record actual consumption over a variety of flights. Make
fuel-related data collection part of the fun of your flying.
Aero-tip of the day: Learn to accurately
predict fuel flows, and don't cut it close. Remember, many fuel
exhaustion accidents happen within sight of the destination
airport. If you think you've got "just enough fuel to make it," you
probably don't.
There are many factors associated with monitoring fuel burn
in flight that are as much (or more) a part of avoiding fuel
exhaustion than preflight planning. We'll take a break from the
Fuel Tutorial for a while, but expect much more in future editions
of Aero-Tips.
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