FDX Fuel Savings program is a JOKE
 

Just got done with a week of flying west coast hub turns. Nice weather, however last night really took the cake. Flight plan had us programmed to land with a FAT of 24.o with NQA. Very nice. Arrived over Tammy with 24.8 and and was told to slow to 160 knots for the downwind to 18R. 33 mile final at 160 knots. Thats 60 miles in this configuration. Landed with 15.5

9000 pounds burn in the terminal area. And is memphis now a training ATC. Whats with the huge slow downs. There is normally a big gap of airplanes arriving from 12:00 AM to 12:30AM but if you have everbody in the terminal are doing 160 or something to that effect and the inbounds are roaring in at 420 knots the gap quickley closes.

So now it seem that you now have to not only take into account the wx and runway ops but wheather or not ATC will give you a huge slowdown and help you burn more gas.

So after landing I felt compelled to start the APU.

Sorry had to vent a little. Hey management wake up.

A word to the wise....." use these fuel loads at your own peril without DUE skepticism". From years of experience around here.

I've experienced very bad support from GOC when running low on fuel while holding since our "Fuel Sense" program started.

Just as one example, I was given a new alternate even FURTHER away after I explained that I no longer had enough fuel to get to the original alternate. I diverted to a non-fedex station and broke down there. BIG hassle!

Another example ... I was dispatched to an airport that was notam'd closed at my arrival time for an airshow. Field (one of normal destinations) was notam'd PPR (prior permission required) during the airshow. I ACAR'd GOC and asked ****. They sent back, "Yeah, yeah ... we know. All fedEx airplanes have PPR. Takeoff as scheduled." Well, I arrived at my destination and Center said the field is closed expect to hold. I ACAR'd GOC again and and them to PHONE the tower. They said, "I told you on the ground before you took off that all FedEx airplanes have PPR." I decided to just divert instead of fixing GOC's problem for them.

In short ... if we're going to get dispatched with less and less fuel, I'll have no choice but to just divert when we reach our diversion fuel. I would like to be able to be more flexible but "fuel sense" is taking many of our options away. I wonder how many diversions we have to make before it blows the ENTIRE FUEL SENSE fuel savings out of the water??? :eek::eek::eek:

Isn't MEM ATC having radar problems too?

Real goat rope last week on the inbound with 1/4 mi vis, 3500-6000 RVR and then all the RVRs went inop for about 15-20 mins.

"And is memphis now a training ATC"

Memphis has always been a training facility. Many of our best controllers over the years have advanced to larger terminals ie ORD.

Have you taken a good look at your Flt. Plan? Most of my flt plans have me planned to cross Tammy at FL300. When was the last time that happened? Never. What does this do to the planned fuel burn? Think about it.

That was fun... I felt like I was in one of them "pong" games holding between cells, and they were the paddles...

:eek:

We have played the same game at Brown also....we used to carry plenty of fuel, then......

The pendulum has gone stop to stop.....low fuel loads = diverts, then we will see lots of fuel for awhile, then back to low fuel=diverts, back to lots of fuel, etc., etc.

And every time, the "new sheriff in town" thinks he has a better idea...

Methinks ATC is a bit sceered. We got multiple heading and speed changes 2 nights ago, and an early speed reduction and long final last night. Seemed to be lots of "do you have the 727 (CRJ, MD-10, etc) in front of you in sight?" type questions. Must be the near miss from last week has them on edge!

Indy Approach has been squirrelly too. Clear night: slowed to 180, flaps hanging, 50 miles to Brickyard, not many a/c around. Wasting tons of fuel.