X-Message-Number: 30001
From: 
Date: Thu, 8 Nov 2007 13:27:39 EST
Subject: Airplane fuel

In a message dated 11/8/2007 4:34:20 AM Mountain Standard Time,  
 writes:

So the  plane has leftover fuel
at the end of its flight ....  Does the plane  lose it if it doesn't use
it?  Do they have to dump it out when the  flight is over, discard it, and
pump in all new fuel?  I'd guess  not.  So what's the problem?  You pay
for it now, or you pay for  it later.  Are the airlines that stupid?




It requires fuel to carry a load from A to B. If you are carrying fifty  tons 
of unneeded fuel, that takes a lot of fuel to transport, and that costs a  
lot of money. Therefore, ideally, you carry only what you need, plus a safety  
margin (about 45 minutes more fuel, allowing you to fly another 400 miles in  
case one airport gets shut down or something. I think.) The trouble here is, 
the  bean counters have pushed this a bit too far, and they have cut more fuel 
than  they should. According to one pilot on Good Morning America, he knew he 
needed  more fuel because there were always delays due to crowding and the Air 
Traffic  Control System, but the airline didn't want him to count that.
 
So you are supposed to have 45 minutes fuel when you land, but if you have  

less you declare a problem and they let you land first. This has been happening
 far more often lately. Probably the airlines will see that they have to back 
off  and carry a scosh more fuel. A couple of planes have landed almost 
empty.  Publicize which airlines are the offenders and people won't fly them, 

profits  will fall, the bean counters will be thrown into a live volcano, and 
the 
problem  will be solved.
 
Alan



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