Originally Posted by
2StgTurbine
I would hope any new Delta captain isn't also a new pilot. You should be able to think critically before you make it to the interview here. Using NYC as an example is not representative. 99% of our flights are not in airspace as congested as NYC. Maybe you didn't actually read my comment, but I said, START with the FAR 45 minutes of reserve, and then add for the situation. If you are going to NYC, then it will take 30 minutes of fuel to get to another NYC airport. And if that doesn't work, be ready to go to ABE.
I hope that new captains here decide to actually think about fuel planning rather than blindly go off a number they heard in training with zero context placed around it. Otherwise, you might end up doing a needless divert because, after years of treating 6.0, 5.0, or whatever conservative number some random instructor told you, you started thinking that THAT number was actually minimum fuel. There was an ASAP where the crew declared emergency fuel but somehow landed with more than 45 minutes of fuel.
Let me ask you this HK, would you takeoff if the WDR said your takeoff limit weight was your current weight?
NYC is an excellent example of where you thesis falls apart. I can also say the same for LAX, SEA, MSP, ATL and DTW. I've seen it go sideways at all of those places.
Your (that's collectively for the group not you in particular) instructors have data on it all. They are in the meetings, they see the trends and whats going on out there. They are not making these numbers up. Also, your statement about "all are pilots" yes, they are. But their situational awareness and their reserve of aviation knowledge is lacking. Not their fault, many just haven't been flying high performance jet aricraft in a demanding operation for long. HINT: There's a reason why we went to continuous LOSA. There's a reason we had our LCAs out there for 2 months riding along with crews. The data we are seeing on this end is quite shocking for an operaiton our size with "qualified" pilots. And I'll tell you we have the metrics on experience of the crews invovled and it is solidly in a certain age/years of experience grouping.
To your last, would you?