Originally Posted by
StraightShooter
If I was over VUZ enroute from ATL to LAX and it looked like I was going to arrive with min fuel, I'd do one of two things: Either stop and get gas, or if I was flying an aircraft with more than two engines, then I would shut one engine down (preferably the center engine) to conserve fuel.
Trying to remember.. for a flight to the west coast, what would your burn be? 3 RB-211s sucking down 60-70,000lbs. Plus reserves.. so you are over VUZ with more than 4hrs of fuel on board and you are shutting down an engine or diverting for fuel?
We shut down an engine on the 727 coming back from DEN to east coast and proceeded to our destination (I was F/O at the time). FAA wanted to know why we passed a number of "suitable fields." I think shutting down an engine enroute to save fuel on a -121 flight would be cause for a "709" ride.
What am I missing?