Flight Fuel Assessment ?

Question

How Does The Captain Assess the amount of Fuel required, With Particular accent to the number and weight of passengers and their associated baggage [over and above the normal allowances ]?

Answer 1

FAA regulations stipulate that an aircraft on an IFR flight plan within the US (all airline flights and some general aviation flights) takeoff with enough fuel to:

1) Reach the intended destination,

2) Then continue from that airport to the filed alternate airport and

3) Then fly after that for an additional 45 minutes at normal cruise speed.

Airline flights originating or ending outside of the US have slightly different requirements. The aircraft must takeoff with enough fuel to:

1) Reach the intended destination,

2) Then continue flying at normal cruise speed for 10% of the time taken to reach the destination,

3) Then fly to the most distant filed alternate airport and

4) Then to fly at holding speed 1,500 feet above the elevation of the alternate airport for 30 minutes.

Airline dispatchers factor those requirements into their calculations when planning the flight, and the captain can request additional fuel if he feels it is necessary.

For VFR flights (most general aviation flights), the fuel requirements only state that the aircraft must takeoff with enough fuel to:

1) Reach the intended destination and

2) Fly for an additional 30 minutes at normal cruise speed during the day or

3) Fly for an additional 45 minutes at normal cruise speed at night.