For the fuel planning, we need to allow 5% contingency fuel from A to E — Page 104, Lesson 97

I want to walk you through a pair of integrated flight planning exercises. These are the kind of questions you'll see in the exam, and they pull together everything about fuel planning, optimum levels, and diversion calculations. Let's start with Exercise 1. We're planning a Long Range Cruise flight at Flight Level 370 from point A to point E, with a nominated alternate airfield. The airfield elevation at A is 3000 feet, while E and the alternate are at mean sea level. Our gross take-off weight at A is 56,000 kilograms, and the estimated landing weights at E and the alternate are 46,000 kg and 43,000 kg respectively. For the fuel planning, we need to allow 5% contingency fuel from A to E. The descent is a straight-in descent with gear down and no air turbulence. For the diversion, we use Alternate Planning from CAP 697 MJRT1 Figure 4.3.6. We allow 260 kg for taxi and APU. Air conditioning adds 1% for the cruise from A to E. Engine and wing anti-ice burns 180 kg per hour for the cruise from A to E. For holding, we compute 45 minutes of holding fuel for straight and level flight at a pressure height of 1500 feet overhead E, using CAP 697 Figure 4.4. We use 47,000 kg as the start weight for the hold. Once the plan is completed, we answer several questions. First, assuming contingency and holding fuel are unused, what is the estimated landing weight at the Alternate? Second, at a cruise weight of 56,000 kg, what is the optimum LRC/M 0.74 level? Third, the aircraft's track is 180° True with variation 10° East — what is the lowest optimum IFR cruise level? Fourth, if the variation was 10° West, what is the amended lowest optimum IFR level? Fifth, if the gross brake release weight is 46,000 kg, trip distance 150 NAM, and temperature ISA +10°C, what is the short distance cruise? Now let's move to Exercise 2. Here we have an Integrated Flight Plan table to complete. The aircraft's estimated cruise weight is 60,000 kg, and the ramp weight is 61,500 kg. The route has an overall magnetic variation of 15° West. The trip is to be flown at the lowest ICAO IFR optimum pressure altitude for Mach 0.78. All airfields are less than 100 feet above mean sea level, and the forecast QNH at destination E is 1029 hPa. For fuel, we again allow 5% contingency from A to E. The descent is straight in with gear down, but this time with turbulence forecast. The diversion uses the same Alternate Planning figure, with an estimated landing weight of 47,000 kg. Taxi and APU allow 20 minutes each. Air conditioning is 1% extra to cruise fuel to destination. Engine and wing anti-ice burns 180 kg per hour for the cruise from A to E. And we have holding at E to compute. The table has lines for each sector from A to TOC, then TOC to B, B to C, C to D, D to TOD, and TOD to E. Each line asks for temperature, FL, temperature deviation, wind direction and speed, track True, TAS, wind component, ground speed, NGM, EET, NAM, gross start weight, cruise value, minus NAM, and fuel. Then we have lines for route fuel, percentage increase or decrease, diversion fuel, 5% contingency, APU/taxi, air conditioning, anti-ice, holding, and finally ramp fuel. Let me explain what each of these terms means in practice. NGM is nautical ground miles — the actual distance over the ground. EET is estimated elapsed time. NAM is nautical air miles — the distance through the air mass. TAS is true airspeed. The wind component tells us how much headwind or tailwind we have. Ground speed is TAS adjusted for wind. The cruise value and minus NAM help us track fuel burn against the planned distance. For the diversion line, we see a wind of 310 degrees at some speed, with -60 NGM and 185 NAM — this tells us the diversion leg has a significant headwind component. The holding fuel will be calculated based on 45 minutes at the holding pattern overhead E. These exercises test your ability to work through a complete flight plan, accounting for every fuel segment, every wind correction, and every regulatory requirement for IFR operations.