New article posted here on APC:

http://airlinepilotcentral.com/artic...070426225.html

 

Good stuff..

 

Interesting and well written article. I enjoyed it.

 

Never get excited about an argument you know you're going to win.

In the cited example of wanting more fuel, the crew has the ultimate weapon: the parking brake.

Remain calm, cool, professional, and leave the parking brake set.

 

Never take just a "plain" no, for an answer; always ask why!

 

It is not necessary to ask why. Simply put, the parking brake stays set if you feel there is a need for more fuel. There is no discussing it if you are right. And if the duty time clock is a factor then every minute they waste is one more minute closer to you having to shut it down for the night there.

 

I am just a military punk so can anyone tell me how often the fuel example used in the article really happens?

 

It depends on the company. I used to work for a cargo carrier that was always second guessing the crews...especially when they wanted to get that last few hundred pounds on. As has already been stated, the parking brake is the final arbiter.

Also already stated, don't ask why. Just tell them what's acceptable and what it's going to take for the airplane to leave.

Two caveats: first, be calm and matter of fact; second, be damn sure your right. If you follow those two principles, eventually the word will get around and you won't have these conflicts. The powers that wannabe will decide to leave you alone because you're not negotiating AND because you're generally right. This works for other parts of the operation, too. Scheduling in particular.

A side benefit of being right: if you ARE called into the chief pilot's office, the discussion will be a lot less painful.

 

Every flight my dispatcher figures the fuel and I either sign off on it or change it. These days our dispatchers are trying to keep the fuel load as low as possible and still give the crew options if they need to deviate or the flight doesn't go as planned. I find they often put about 1000 pounds extra on my flights. I usually find their calculations adequate. If I want more fuel, it is usually because I want to fly fast and get home ASAP.

I find it amusing when some captains I know get all excited because they want an extra 500 pounds. I've seen them call out the fuel truck and demand the fuel. It is their right but do they realize that 500 pounds is only 5 minutes of cruise?

The time to argue about more fuel is when you have info that the dispatcher may not be aware of or is not thinking of. For example, there may be a huge line up for take off, or, you may be using a runway much farther away than normal. In these cases you need more taxi fuel. You are in a better position to judge than the dispatcher. Also, you just landed and you know the head wind is much stronger than your flight plan forecasts for the flight back home. Or you know the file altitude is rough so you will need to fly lower.

I have never been denied extra fuel. Like someone else said, don't get upset about an argument you are going to win.

 

Given today's current stringent emphasis on fuel economy, it will happen daily if the weather is bad.

It costs gas to carry extra gas to the fligt levels, so airlines don't want us to tanker any more fuel than necessary. Reduced fuel loads usually work in nice Wx, but in marginal Wx they often give us the minimum to shoot an approach, miss, and go to the alternate. This means that if you get a hold at the planned destination, you will likely have to divert immediately...if everybody diverts, now you have a stack to get into the alternate. That's where it can get scary if you didn't take a few hundred bonus pounds.