Flight planning

VFR:
Westerly (180 – 359): Even + 500
Easterly (000 – 179): Odd + 500
* Remember to convert to magnetic track when determining westerly or easterly

Congested areas: 1000ft above highest obstacle within 600m radius

Elsewhere: 500ft (150m) above ground

IFR:
Westerly: Even
Easterly: Odd

FL Number only: Min en-route altitude (MEA)

Number “a”: Min off-route altitude (MORA) Obstruction clearance: 10NM either side of route
Number “T”: Min obstruction clearance altitude (MOCA)
MAA: Max authorized altitude (MAA)

ISA temperature correction:

- ISA temp correction applied to pressure altitude
- Apply temp correction ONLY if it exceeds 20% MOC
- Apply temp correction for MSA always

Min sector altitude (MSA): 1000ft within 25NM

Mach = TAS/LSS (LSS = 38.95 x √ [273 – OAT (K)])

“Established”: Intermediate approach

SID/STAR: Routes are defined as magnetic courses

Charts:
In a grid sector, a number represents MSA

VHF distance = 1.25 x √Altitude

*If distance too short, use HF, lower HF frequency for night, higher HF frequency for day

Fuel planning:
USG x 6 = lb
USG x 3.7852 = litres
IMP gal x 4.55 = litres
Lb x 0.454 = kg
Kg x 2.205 = lb

Fuel in terms of mass (Kg or lb): Not affected by SG

Fuel burn in terms of volume (Gallons or litres): New fuel flow = (Old fuel flow x old SG) ÷ new SG

Range without any extra fuel:

Useable fuel: Block fuel – taxi – alternate – holding (45 min prop) – 5% contingency
Range = Useable fuel ÷ fuel consumption x GS

Regulation:
 - Required to land with reserve fuel
- SEP has to land with 45 mins fuel reserve
- Sum of trip fuel (Includes contingency 5%) = (Tank capacity – taxi) - 45 mins final reserve

Snow showers, causing runway contamination most likely to affect fuel log (Due to landing at alternate) compared to
rain/fog/mist

For commercial flights:

Final reserve fuel (Reciprocating/piston engine): 45 minutes *(Vital)
Final reserve fuel (Turbojet):
- 30min HOLDING fuel flow at 1500ft above alternate aerodrome
- 30min HOLDING fuel flow at 1500ft above destination aerodrome when no alternate required (Therefore additional
fuel + final reserve = 15 min additional + 30 min reserve fuel = 45 mins)
- For emergency only & it is prohibited to plan the usage of that fuel
Final reserve fuel for ISOLATED aerodromes:
- Fuel for 2 hours at normal cruise consumption including final reserve fuel
Minimum additional fuel:
- No destination alternate: Additional 15 minutes holding fuel (Therefore additional fuel + final reserve = 15 min
additional + 30 min reserve fuel = 45 mins)
- With destination alternate: No additional, alternate fuel given
- Additional fuel for using PDP:
(i) Piston/reciprocating the greater of:
• 2 hours CRUISE FUEL FLOW OR 45 minutes fuel + 15% cruise time (Destination) whichever is
less (TOC to TOD)
OR
• 45 minutes fuel (Alternate)
(ii) Jet the greater of:
• 30 minutes hold (Not less than final reserve fuel)
• 2 hours cruise consumption
- Planned final reserve fuel can be subtracted from calculated additional fuel
Contingency fuel:
- For unforeseen circumstances between departure & destination
- Such as ATC requesting to increase speed
- 5% of trip fuel OR 5 minutes of holding fuel whichever is higher
- 3% of planned trip fuel provided ERA is available
- Minimum = No contingency left
Alternate fuel:
- Includes missed approach at destination
- Excludes missed approach at alternate
Useable fuel:
- At destination: Not less than the sum of alternate fuel & final reserve fuel
- With no destination alternate flies for 45 mins at holding speed at 450m (1500ft)
Trip fuel:
- Take-off to landing
- Includes fuel for climb & descents
Taxi fuel: At destination NOT considered

Landing mass at destination = ZFM + final reserve + alternate + contingency (Lowest fuel amount: Alternate + final reserve)
Landing mass at alternate = ZFM + final reserve + contingency

Diversions: Remaining fuel same amount as required fuel to reach aerodrome where safe landing made, with final reserve fuel

Integrated procedure:
- Integrated range curves & tables: Used to determine fuel consumption for a certain air distance considering
decreasing fuel flow with decreasing mass
- Range flight planning: Distance from take-off to ToC has to be known
- More precise & considers different fuel consumption during different flight sectors

Specific fuel consumption:

Fuel tankering considerations:
- Weather at destination below minima
- No suitable fuel at planned destination
Predetermined point (PDP):
- Last possible point of diversion to ERA used as predetermined point (PDP)
- Required: Contingency fuel from PDP to destination & additional fuel according to regulations
Decision point procedure:
- Reduce min required fuel & therefore increase traffic load
- In case of emergency while flying to isolated aerodrome
- Reducing contingency fuel to only that required from decision point to destination
- Trip fuel from departure to destination: Contingency at least from decision point “DP” to destination
- Trip fuel to destination aerodrome is calculated via decision point
- Provides option to select an aerodrome as destination alternate at a distance from planned destination that cannot be
reached after first flying to destination. Increases max range by reduction of mandatory fuel reserves
- Reduce contingency fuel by adding contingency only from burn-off between DP & destination

Calculations:
Determining extra fuel that can be added
1) Find the actual masses
- Actual ZFM = DOM + TL
- Actual TOM = Actual ZFM + take-off fuel
- Actual LM = Actual TOM – Trip fuel
- Actual ramp mass = Actual TOM + taxi fuel
2) Find the most limiting extra fuel (Lowest value):
- MTOM – ATOM
- MLM – ALM = Uncorrected extra fuel
To correct for fuel penalty: (Uncorrected extra fuel ÷ fuel penalty difference) x 1000
- Max ramp mass – actual ramp mass
- Tank capacity (Tank capacity – taxi fuel – take-off fuel)

If question states ADDITIONAL LOAD it is TRAFFIC LOAD: MZFM - Actual ZFM

If question states FUEL LOAD it is EXTRA FUEL LOAD
Max permitted take-off fuel = Limiting TOF + trip fuel

Trip fuel = Fuel consumption x distance

Total fuel = Contingency + additional/alternate + final reserve + trip
Minimum trip fuel at destination = Alternate + final reserve
Minimum trip fuel at alternate = Final reserve (30 jets or 45 mins piston/reciprocating)

PDP calculations:
a. Sum of trip fuel from departure to destination + contingency from decision point to destination
(i) Trip fuel = Distance to destination ÷ GS x fuel consumption
(ii) Contingency = (Distance decision point to destination ÷ GS x fuel consumption) x 5%
b. Sum of trip fuel from departure to alternate/refuel + contingency from destination to alternate/refuel
(i) Trip fuel = Distance to alternate ÷ GS x fuel consumption
(ii) Contingency = (Distance DP to alternate ÷ GS x fuel consumption) x 5%
- Determine the bigger sum, (a) or (b) & all your answers are based on this sum
- Read carefully they may ask for trip, contingency, total fuel or additional fuel

Questions for additional fuel disregard steps above:

- TURBINE ENGINES:
• 2 hours cruise consumption
• 30 minutes for destination ALTERNATE
- RECIPROCATING ENGINES:
• 45 minutes fuel consumption + fuel for 15% of the flight time at cruise (15% of Cruise distance ÷ GS (TOC to
TOD)) for destination or 2 hours cruise whichever is less
• 45 minutes only for destination ALTERNATE
Planned final reserve fuel can be subtracted from calculated additional fuel (Final reserve fuel is included in additional fuel)

NOTAM briefing:
- NOTAM-N: New
- NOTAM-R: Replaced
- NOTAM-C: Cancelled
- Date & time given: YYMMDDTIME
- LO: Locater
- PN: Prior notice
 - U/S: Unserviceable
- ACC is not part of airport
- ZRT - Zone restricted temporarily: From sunrise (SR) – 30 to sunset (SS) + 30
- Customs & health formalities found in AIP

NOSIG = No significant change

Point of equal time & point of safe return

Point of safe return (PSR/PNR): Last point along the route from which an aircraft can legally fly back to its departure
aerodrome, having passed the PSR, the aircraft is committed to continue to destination or alternate

Point of equal time (PET/CP): Takes same time to fly onward to destination as it would to return to departure

PET always moves into the wind (E.g. if wind from N.E PET moves further N.E)
PSR/PNR always moves closer to departure if there is wind regardless tail or head

Calculations:
- Find groundspeed home & outbound using wind data
- Find endurance: Safe endurance = (Max fuel – min reserve fuel) ÷ fuel flow
- E = endurance, O =outbound GS, H = Homebound GS
(i) PSR:
Time to PSR = (E x H) ÷ (O + H)
Distance of PSR from departure = Time to PSR x O = EOH/ (O + H)
(ii) PET:
Distance of PET from departure = (D x H) ÷ (O + H)
Time to PET = Distance to PET ÷ O
Descent overlooked as it doesn’t matter
Endurance not relevant
Inversely proportional to (O + H)
OEI PET:
- PNR: Calculate time with GS AE outbound & GS SE homebound. Then to find distance use GS AE outbound
- OEI PET: Calculate the distance using GS SE only. Then to find time use GS AE outbound

Some questions require effective TAS to calculate GS

(i) Find WCA:
XWC = sin (wind angle) x wind speed
WCA = XWC x 60 ÷ TAS
o
Basically, you NEED to use the effective TAS if WCA > 10 , if not disregard step (ii)
(ii) Effective TAS = TAS x cos WCA
(iii) HWC = cos (wind angle) x wind speed
(iv) GS = Effective TAS +/- headwind/tailwind

Remember to read question carefully!

- If question asks for zero reserve use PSR
- Remember to deduct fuel used to find safe endurance left
- Some questions ask for PET/PNR from destination
- Some questions ask for OEI at PNR:
So from departure to PNR use all engine TAS then back from PNR to departure uses OEI TAS

Flight plan:
(i) Item 7:
- Identifier: RTF callsign to be used
(ii) Item 8:
Flight type
- S: Scheduled
- N: Non scheduled
- G: General
- M: Military
- X: Others
(iii) Item 9:
- Wake turbulence CAT: Based on MTOM not ATOM
 - “H” heavy is highest >136 000kg
- “L” < 7000kg
- Number: Number of aircraft flying in the group
(iv) Item 10:
Standard equipment: VHF RTF, ADF, VOR, ILS
Surveillance
- A: 4096
- C: Mode A + altitude reporting
- S: Mode S + PA & ident
Equipment:
- X: MNPS
- W: RVSM
(v) Item 13: ETD = Go off blocks
(vi) Item 15:
- Route: Points of interval not more than 30 minutes or 200NM
- Airspeed is TAS, (E.g. 90 knots = N0090)
- FL: F (E.g. FL85 = F085)
- VOR ident, magnetic bearing & distance in km
(vii) Item 16:
- Take-off to IAF
- EET (Estimated elapsed time): Aircraft take-off to overhead destination (It is duration of flight! Not time!)
- Aerodrome: No ICAO identifier: ZZZZ
(viii) Item 18:
- Other information: SELCAL code
- Transporting health personnel in conflict: STS/HOSP
(ix) Item 19
- Endurance:
• Endurance of aircraft, total useable fuel on board
• Fuel flow in flight: Trip fuel ÷ flight time
• Endurance in minutes (E.g. 240 mins = 240)
- Persons on board: Passengers unknown = TBN (To be notified)
- UHF emergency 243.0MHz

Computer flight plan:

- Advantage: Can use computer to file, can calculate alternate fuel for missed approach climb cruise descent approach
- Disadvantage: Less up to date, no rerouting, unable to account for bad weather

Repetitive flight plan (RPLs):

- IFR flights regularly on same day of consecutive weeks on 10 occasions
- In case of any adverse weather/closure of destination, RPL cancelled & flight plan filed

Others:
Flight plan amended or cancelled, new flight plan submitted:
- Delay of >30 mins EOBT controlled:
- Delay of >60 mins EOBT un-controlled
IFR –VFR: On commanders request ONLY
Flights in IFR & across borders require flight plan notification
In case of AFTM flight plan should be filed at least 3 hours in advance of the EOBT
“Current flight plan”: Includes amendments & clearances
You can’t close a flight plan in flight
Pilot informs ATC in case TAS varies by 5%, Mach 0.01 & time by 2 minutes
Diverting to uncontrolled: Inform ATC in 30 minutes
Delayed: Amended or cancelled within 30 minutes
Airborne: 10 mins before entering CTR
Flight plan submitted: 1 hour before leaving parking
Controlled flight: 60 mins before departure

Flight planning & flight re-planning

1 in 60: Track error = Distance off track x 60 ÷ distance
NAM = NGM x TAS ÷ GS

Fuel calculation:
 - New NAM – old NAM x fuel consumption (kg/NAM)
- (Block – taxi) ÷ (Trip + contingency) ÷ time = fuel consumption
*If wind changed from headwind to tailwind don’t waste time calculating additional fuel, as tailwinds results in less fuel burn

Fuel remaining = [(Block – taxi) ÷ ((100% + contingency %) ÷ 100) ÷ endurance x flight time left] + contingency
Centre pump failure, fuel consumed at wings first, fuel transferred from centre tank to wings:
- Rate of transfer x time = Transferred fuel
- Remaining fuel available = (Transferred fuel + fuel in wings) – (fuel consumption x time of failure)
- Endurance left = Remaining fuel ÷ fuel consumption

(Cruising alt + pressure correction – level off altitude) ÷ ROD = Time to descend
Distance = GS x time to descend

True track = True heading + INS drift

True heading = True heading – INS drift