Gadling

Hi Jeff,

It might vary somewhat from airline to airline, but I've never run into a situation where we weren't allowed to put on extra fuel if we felt we needed it. I've had two flights divert for fuel in the past 15 years, but that was after holding for nearly an hour in one case. We always land with at least an hours worth of fuel on board on clear days and average two to three hours on days with adverse weather. It always depends on where the alternates are (how far they are from the destination).

Some pilots comfort level extends far beyond the FAA minimums. This isn't the most pressing safety issue, in my opinion. But I can only speak about the five airlines I've flown for.

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Typical mainstream news "scare-orism" tactics.

As I'm sure Kurt can attest to, 95% of major media reports pertaining to Airlines and Aircraft, are either factually wrong or prone to hyperbole.

We've now gone 8 years since the last major airline crash in North America. This is a great stretch, and safety IMO has never been higher. I fly several times a year for pleasure all over N.A. and Europe, and I have never felt unsafe.

Thanks to Kurt and all the other Pilots (c/o & f/o's) who get millions of us safely to and from our destinations every day.

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this is a current news item?? very old - got cobwebs on it!!

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Got our first and only visit to Allentown PA last August when our Continental flight from Richmond to Newark had to divert to get additional fuel. The pilot had announced earlier that we were getting low on fuel which caused a bit of uneasiness in the cabin. This stop almost caused us to miss our connection to England. I am sure Allentown is lovely if you get to know it.

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I can tell you as a retired Airline Capt. I have told more that one dispatcher to kiss off. If I wanted extra fuel I got it or we didnot go. If you are going to be a Capt. Be a Capt. you have finnal say its your life on line not your bosses.

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We have a pilot and a flight attendant in our family. They have had much training in their careers. I only hope that their is enough of what they need to be safe when they are flying passengers and their selves on each flight. Listen to the people that know. They all need to be safe on their trips. Thank you!

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Whats the big deal whether they get "extra" fuel? If they end up not using it that just means a smaller fill up when they do get fuel. Not like the fuel gets poured out after each landing and goes to waste. I'd be more concerned about the tires and gauges mentioned in above posts than having extra fuel above what some bean counter says they need.

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Since it came from NBC and MSNBC I doubt if many people saw the piece. Both of those outlets have a history of hysteria and scare tactics. "Scare of the Week."

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And people wonder why I am renting a motor home this year for the family trip! It will be cheaper, more convenient, and I can say when I need gas or have to much.

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I'm a pilot, and as my instructor always said, "the only time you got too much gas is when you're on fire". The guys flying the big planes do have a lot more to figure, as it costs a lot to carry unnecessary fuel, but with all the IFR regs mentioned (alternate plus 45 mins of extra fuel) the FAA has it covered. In all my years of commercial flying, we had to divert to Houston one night to take on extra fuel because of weather delays and holding. Believe me when I tell you that the Captain has got a lot to live for, and he ain't taking off w/o enough fuel! He's at least as concerned about his own safety as anyone else's. No offense or insults intended.

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This may seem like a stupid question to pilots, but, why don't they just fill up the tanks whenever they land so they are full before takeoff, like I do with my car & motorcycle? It's not like the fuel won't be used at some point because the airplane is being used most of the time anyway just like our cars & it needs the fuel to run, so what am I missing here? It seems like a no-brainer to me, but there must be some reason why they don't just keep the tanks full & the plane ready to fly for as long as it needs to. Hmm, maybe "they" have stock in medical equipment & fire equipment companies!? O.K., I better get something worthwhile done. Thanks, Don

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The Pilot who is in command of the aircraft & who will also be held responsible for everything that happens with it, should have the final say on how much fuel they want. After reading some other Info. I've realized that the weight of the "extra" fuel would actually make the airplane less efficient if they carried too much fuel, BUT, as the fuel technician said earlier, the amount of fuel needed has to be based on all the things that may keep the airplane flying longer than just the straight-line route from point-to-point, such as flight pattern delays due to weather or rerouting for some other reason. I'm sure that the FAA Regs. are in place for a very good reason, like lessons that were learned the hard way, by crashing!! I would strongly suggest that the airlines leave the pilots alone to do the flying according to the regs & their training. And pilots, make sure that you are rested, alert & NOT under the influence of anything other than the highest professional standards. All of those lives are depending on you. Don't forget that. I don't & neither do other people & most have the hightest regard for you. I certainly do, in part because I know that there are several former military pilots out there & I'm part of that military family too (Not a pilot, yet). I know that there are some excellent & heroic pilots out there & you may be one of them. I certainly hope so when I get on a plane & I wonder how the crew is doing in cockpit. Are they asleep, hungover, drunk, high, depressed, distracted by something, bored or are they O.K. & flying the plane like they're supposed to be doing? I'm sure that the occasional story we hear about poor pilot performance is the very small percentage, but, there could be a very high cost for those poor pilots when they cause a major problem! You know what I mean. Anyway, I back the crews when it comes to the aircraft operations.

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Fuel is solid weight and has to be carried just like the passengers. The difference is, fuel doesn't pay for itself but is costly because every ounce of weight carried burns more fuel. I'm not a commercial pilot; however, private pilots know that aircraft are less equipped for a partial fill-up. Commercial pilots are engineers who can easily calculate fuel needed for a trip plus the proper reserve amount. Carrying more fuel than is necessary makes flying more expensive and causes the aircraft to handle like it's heavier than it has to be. This is all from a news anchor who was desperate for a story that will create a little hysteria among the ignorant.

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That is a troublesome report at best and a very scary one at worst. What are the airlines waiting for a crash caused by not enough fuel on board when they are put in a holding pattern or can't land either the airport they were planning to and can't land at the nearest one either and then crashes. The FFA needs to get off it's butt and make them do what is right for the public's safetly. Human lives are priceless. All the more reason to drive if you have the time...and it is still cheaper than flying any more even at 4.00 a gallon.

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Richard the fuel jockey hasn't a clue what he's talking about.

50 pounds of fuel is about 8 gallons, which isn't going to get you very far on any airliner.

As far as complaining about the fuel gauges not working, the first thing any pilot is taught is that fuel gauges are ALWAYS unreliable and you never believe them - you always visualize the fuel level in the tanks to determine how much you have and how much you need to add.

If the "fuel jockey" is going by the gauges, he needs to be fired. More likely, this guy has never been near an airplane in his life. He's certainly ignorant of basic procedures.


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3Apr 22nd 2008 @ 8:26PM
Richard said...
I used to fuel aircraft in Charlotte,N C and if I saw the weather is Bad, I used to give the aircraft an extra 50 to 100 lbs, some Pilots didn't like it but if they are in line to take off for along time they would probably use up all the fuel. The other problem was that the extra fuel weight might hurt al little. Alot of Pilot said that we were just selling them the extra fuel. Another concern was alot of the aircraft wheel you could see exposed metal wire coming through the rubber and the Pilot was notified but they still took off. I fuel the same aircraft every day for over a week and the cockpit fuel gauge one of two never work, so I had to pull the dipstick in the wings and get a reading. This airline is Charlotte.NC largest carrier. fueljockey

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theres no freakin way a company that can have one plane built that cost 10 to 20 millon per plane is crying about fuel cost and if they are its sad but i really doubt there having to fly on low fuel due to cost

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