Hello all, Right now currently somewhere between LIMC and FACT at FL320, have Tripoli Radio tuned on 11300 and 8933 for the standby..had the Corriere dello sport open to Calcio when 'Ding' FUEL LOW TEMP interrupted my peace. Madonna che P***e!Giovanni looked over to me and asked me if We should ask Tripoli for lower or for Faster.Quiz question 1. IF we have a fuel low temp, why would a speed increase, increase my fuel temp.He then asked me why does this blasted fuel low temp always illuminate when we are over the Congo or India but hardly ever over Greenland or SiberiaQuiz question 2.why does fuel get colder when nearing the equator than when nearing the poles?hang on...position reportTripoli Tripoli Alitalia 7......Alessandro Dallago

I'll pitch my pennies and see if I can get the prize.1) Easy, the fuel "feels" TAT, which increases with speed at a give OAT.2) Tricky, didn't know this but reasoned that if this is true, then it could be because we fly at pressure altitude.Maybe I will bat 500.

2) Tropopause is higher at the equator than at the poles (58.000 vs 36.000ft +-)

why does fuel get colder when nearing the equator than when nearing the poles?

I am no expert but daily practice clearly shows it is the polar routes where aircraft crews must pay special attention to fuel freezing point and monitor fuel temperature, not the crews flying high over tropics. Air masses/weather may have much more to say here than what the standard atmosphere model would indicate. Recent fuel freezing accident with BA/777 happened on a flight over Siberia, not over Africa :(

Michal, good point, but as Krullenbol pointed out, the tropopause is higher at the equator than at the poles therefore allowing the lapse rate to continue normally to a much higher altitude. This also explains why thunderstorms tower so much higher near the equator as CB tops are usually associated with the tropopause. ofcourse all this being purely academic it is completely normal to see the opposite on a daily bases with the infinate variables mother nature has.Downscc, yes i believe you got the speed question, the greater the mach, the greater the friction, the warmer the skin becomes..an exaggerated example ofthis would be the concorde expanding in flight from friction, on the other end, the c-130 shrinks from being so slow up at altitude. this is all in fun and hopefully we can stimulate more aviation(MD11) banter on these forums..Since ive gotten the MD11 I havnt stopped flying it, being furloughed also helps. :-(

In "The Sled Driver," I recall reading that the SR-71 would expand in length about 18-in (excuse my memory if wrong), and actually seeped fuel on the ground until airborne and "hot."OMG, how many hours I have spent in a C-130? Whew. And loud. But, I love 'm anyway. What a work horse, really admire the AC-130 and MC-130s.