Go Back  Airline Pilot Central Forums > Pilot Lounge > Hangar Talk
Calculating Airliner Fuel/Payload >

Calculating Airliner Fuel/Payload

Search

Notices
Hangar Talk For non-aviation-related discussion and aviation threads that don't belong elsewhere

Calculating Airliner Fuel/Payload

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 06-21-2006, 06:19 PM
  #1  
A320fan
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Calculating Airliner Fuel/Payload

hey again guys,

for any of our real airline pilots, (i know this is a dumb question, but i need to know ), how do you calculate your aircraft's required fuel, fuel burn, payload, and estimated flight time? any help would be great.

colin
 
Old 06-21-2006, 08:47 PM
  #2  
CA
 
CL65driver's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Oct 2005
Position: I am the Captain now...
Posts: 1,006
Default

I worked weight and balance at JAL in SFO for a while, the way we did our load plans was actually quite simple. Figure out how many pax are booked, estimate 165 lbs each, and two 30 lbs. bags each. Figure so many bags per LD3. It was all a guessing game for the first two hours or so, until we got our cargo final. Then we'd make some final adjustments to the load plan, give the thing to the dispatcher, and he'd take it from there. It was actually pretty cool to watch it all take shape throughout the process. Sometimes we'd be WAY off, sometimes spot on.

... and then we'd get the magical 26.0% MAC every now and them. That's when the dispatcher would usually take me to lunch after work.

... ahhh, I miss those days!
CL65driver is offline  
Old 06-22-2006, 03:44 AM
  #3  
Just Plane Stupid
 
HeavyDriver's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Feb 2006
Position: Captain
Posts: 461
Default

My company uses a computer system for flight planning fuel burn...It looks for a routing that is most economical and feasible based on a planned payload...Then as departure time gets closer we use an onboard computer to make the final weight and balance calculations for performance based on airport conditions...Runway, obstacle, known payload, and weather....On the paperwork I receive there is an adjustment to the fuel burn if the payload is different from the planned payload...
HeavyDriver is offline  
Old 06-22-2006, 03:02 PM
  #4  
A320fan
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

WOW!!!! i forgot that FS isn't anywhere close to the real thing. thank god i asked.
 
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
SWAjet
Major
6
07-26-2006 10:09 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On



Your Privacy Choices