Tried to read through a lot of stuff but cant find anything on this but i shall explain my situation.Do a lot of LH flights in the MD. Mostly the max flight is ~5500nm, but most are under 5000nm. Based out of LSGG and fly to VHHH/KSFO/SBGR/WSSS/KJFK. Just did a flight from SBGR to LSGG, and loaded the MD-11 via the load manager (after collecting my load figures from my airlines VAFS system). and then load the fuel onboard after doing the route set up in the FMC. For the flight i just did i uploaded 215,000lbs fuel and had a TOGW of 615,000lbs. Still had weight to play with but my FMC showed that with those figures i would arrive at LSGG with at least 19000lbs of fuel. Alternate of Zurich, if required would show me landing there with 8000lbs. These were the base figures, I knew that with the tailwind and when we actually got airborne, the fuel load left on board would actually be greater than this. Took off and as i expected as soon as i get off the ground, the FMC pops up the message saying "Insufficient fuel" but i check my PROG page and i should now land with 23,000lbs and if required Zurich with 12,000lbs fuel. Why do i keep getting these messages during my flight saying i don't have enough fuel? Am I not carrying enough? I don't get these warnings on the ground either before i get airborne.

Is there a negative value in FINAL or EXTRA?

The message simply means that the FMC predicts that you will land with less then you have told it you want to land with. If you are happy that you will land with at least 12,000lbs, what is the minimum you told the FMC you wanted? The default reserve, if you don't change anything, is 10% which in this case is 21,500. You are planing to land with less then that, hence the warning.

Paul hit the nail on the head, used to see a lot of posts like this over on the 744 forum.

Ah thanks. I know how the Boeing ones work, just not fully the MD!So the minimum fuel reading for the flight, or also after the need to maybe to go to your alternate?It sounds like i just need to change the reserve % thanks!

Hi guys I reopen this topic just to have your suggestion.

 

Via PFPX I've planned KSDF-PHNL for my UPS MD11 and my release fuel il 62.300 kgs.

 

I rounded up to 64.000 kgs and inserted into WEIGHT INIT PAGE in BLOCK fuel and get an extra time of 7, so all it's ok I thought.

 

After takeoff just before my final FL360 I get a blinking INSUFFICIENT FUEL msg in FMC scratchpad, this msg appean and disappear and extra time now is -2.

 

What I've made wrong in your opinion?

If you are satisfied with the reserve amount as show on the PROG page go the FL PLAN INIT page 2 of 3 and change 3L from 10 to something less until 6L becomes a positive time. This will get rid of the message on the CDU/FMS.

Do you consider RTE RSV as FINAL RESERVE? Default is 10%, so 6.400 kgs a bit too much, isn't it?

I am using PFPX for flight planning and it tells me what the reserves should be for a particular flight. Most of the flights I do are 9-12 hours and the reserves are usually 26-28000 lbs. at destination and 20-22000 lbs. at alternate. The longer the flight the more reserve. 6400 kgs. sound low to me but then I have never done short flights.

 

Let me know the origin and destination and I will run it thru PFPX and see what it comes up with.

I'm using too PFPX amd my route is KSDF-PHNL, not very short :-)

 

Can you let me know your values and what do you insert into FMC?

 

Many thanks

Using ASN for weather, step climbs, U.S. Domestic Fuel Policy, 5000 lbs. of extra fuel, PHOK as alternate, and 100000 lbs. of cargo I get a reserve of 18009 lbs. Release fuel is 157815. I enter no fuel into the FMS/CDU but in the FSX menu>Add-Ons>PMDG Aircraft>Fuel>Apply Now>OK. If I get a insufficient fuel message, I get rid of it as outlined in post#7 above.