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 05.11.06

One of aviation's few "cardinal sins" is fuel exhaustion -- running out of gas. It's one of the leading causes of engine failure (see my article in the April 2006 issue of Aviation Safety).

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.

From Advisory Circular 61-23C, the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge: Fuel Consumption --

Airplane fuel consumption rate is computed in gallons per hour. Consequently, to determine the fuel required for a given flight, the time required for the flight must be known. Time in flight multiplied by rate of consumption gives the quantity of fuel required. For example, a flight of 400 NM at a groundspeed of 100 knots requires 4 hours. If the plane consumes 5 gallons an hour, the total consumption will be 4 x 5, or 20 gallons.

The rate of fuel consumption depends on many factors: condition of the engine, propeller pitch, propeller RPM, richness of the mixture, and particularly the percentage of horsepower used for flight at cruising speed. The pilot should know the approximate consumption rate from cruise performance charts, or from experience. In addition to the amount of fuel required for the flight, there should be sufficient fuel for reserve.

Fuel for climb

AC 61-23C presumes the fuel burn rate is constant. Don't forget the added fuel burn during climb -- climb usually represents a fairly small part of a trip, but the high fuel burn rate is significant in many airplanes. For instance, a 300-horsepower single-engine airplane may burn 15 to 17 gallons per hour (gph) in cruise but need 25 gph or more in climb. Climb from sea level to 8000 feet at 800 fpm and you'll burn over four gallons in the first 10 minutes. Sure, descent at the end of the flight may offset this, but don't count on it. It may not be coincidental that many fuel exhaustion accidents happen within sight of the destination airport.

Aero-tip of the day: Don't fall into the trap of figuring fuel requirements by using Pilots Operating Handbook cruise power charts alone. There's a lot more involved in fuel planning, which we'll explore in upcoming editions of Aero-Tips.

FMI: Aero-Tips