You told the FMS that you want to arrive at your destination (on the ground and slowing down) with 5.0 (units... lb tons? kg tonnes?) remaining in your tanks as you touch down on the runway.

 

You currently have 7.2 tonnes in the tanks. However the fuel is constantly reducing in volume as the engines run.

 

The FMS has been told you want to fly to a specific location via a specific flightplanned route, which it can display in the LEGS page and on the Navigation display.

 

The FMS also knows how much fuel you are using (per minute) and how much it will use (ie during decent you will use less per minute than in cruise due to lower engine thrust setting, and then on approach you will use more because the low altitude/drag and higher thrust setting on the 3° approach decent angle).

 

So it knows how much fuel you will use between now and when you get to the runway.

 

It has noticed that when you get to the runway, you will have less than 5.0 tonnes left, and is telling you that.

 

One way to avoid this is to lower the reserve fuel to a lower amount. (when using Metric tonnes I usually have it set around the 3 tonne mark).

 

Of course there is a legal minimum of 30 minutes + 10% of flight time + fuel required to get to your alternate. - and other factors may require more - expected holding, weather, Airline SOP's, etc.

 

If you calculate everything properly and the message comes up, it means you have less fuel than all the above... you may end up landing with less than legally permitted fuel even if you don't get delayed at all.

 

 

5.0 is (apparently?) a common reserves minimums when using pound (lb) derived tons. (instead of Kilogram related Tonnes).

just type 1 in the scratchpad an press lsk4 to enter it in, voila !

 

Eric Wallace

And now when the "using reserves" message comes up you will have less than 10 minutes of fuel left when you get to your destination yay. And if you have to go around on the approach... you will get to see how well a 737 can glide!

Well it is a sim after all! Also make sure you know the difference between LBS and KGS. That may have been the issue with the B767 "gimli glider " incident some years ago if I remember correctly

Kyle,

 

I have always been taught that you declare minimum fuel when your fuel is down to the minimums of cfr91-167 as follows:

 

 

 

"91.167 Fuel requirements for flight in IFR conditions.

 

(a) No person may operate a civil aircraft in IFR conditions unless it carries enough fuel (considering weather reports and forecasts and weather conditions) to—

 

(1) Complete the flight to the first airport of intended landing;

 

(2) Except as provided in paragraph ( B) of this section, fly from that airport to the alternate airport; and

 

(3) Fly after that for 45 minutes at normal cruising speed or, for helicopters, fly after that for 30 minutes at normal cruising speed.

 

( B) Paragraph (a)(2) of this section does not apply if:

 

(1) Part 97 of this chapter prescribes a standard instrument approach procedure to, or a special instrument approach procedure has been issued by the Administrator to the operator for, the first airport of intended landing; and

 

(2) Appropriate weather reports or weather forecasts, or a combination of them, indicate the following:

 

(i) For aircraft other than helicopters. For at least 1 hour before and for 1 hour after the estimated time of arrival, the ceiling will be at least 2,000 feet above the airport elevation and the visibility will be at least 3 statute miles.

 

(ii) For helicopters. At the estimated time of arrival and for 1 hour after the estimated time of arrival, the ceiling will be at least 1,000 feet above the airport elevation, or at least 400 feet above the lowest applicable approach minima, whichever is higher, and the visibility will be at least 2 statute miles."

 

Correct me if I am wrong please.

 

fuelplanner.com seems off for the 700.

 

I use http://www1.metacraft.com/737NGFP/ for my NGX fuel planning. I wouldn't recommend trying to board fuel with it though because it was made back in '04, but it does do calculations and everything.

 

Also, the on fuelplanner.com, if you make an account on their website you can put in the OEW and Payload and it will give you a more precise fuel load + more options for your reserves. You'll probably want to use an email under something other than @live.com, because my LIVE email wouldn't work for the fuelplanner account. I had to use gmail.

I have always been taught that you declare minimum fuel when your fuel is down to the minimums of cfr91-167

 

That works, but it's not a reg. The reg you cite is how much you need to get off the ground, not when you have to report anything.

 

 

This is from the AIM (again, not a reg):

 

5-5-15. Minimum Fuel Advisory

a. Pilot.

1. Advise ATC of your minimum fuel status when your fuel supply has reached a state where, upon reaching destination, you cannot accept any undue delay.

2. Be aware this is not an emergency situation, but merely an advisory that indicates an emergency situation is possible should any undue delay occur.

3. On initial contact the term “minimum fuel” should be used after stating call sign.

EXAMPLE-

Salt Lake Approach, United 621, “minimum fuel.”

4. Be aware a minimum fuel advisory does not imply a need for traffic priority.

5. If the remaining usable fuel supply suggests the need for traffic priority to ensure a safe landing, you should declare an emergency due to low fuel and report fuel remaining in minutes.

REFERENCE-

Pilot/Controller Glossary Item- Fuel Remaining.

b. Controller.

1. When an aircraft declares a state of minimum fuel, relay this information to the facility to whom control jurisdiction is transferred.

2. Be alert for any occurrence which might delay the aircraft.

Ok, Thank you for the help and clarification.

.

 

Thanks for the info Nathan.

 

That works, but it's not a reg. The reg you cite is how much you need to get off the ground, not when you have to report anything.

 

 

This is from the AIM (again, not a reg):

 

Thanks for jumpin in Matt.

 

Ok, Thank you for the help and clarification.

 

Matt got it for ya, but also note that the link above is from the FAA itself, too.

 

One thing that shatters a lot of peoples' minds here is that FAA legal has to interpret the regs that have been written by other FAA employees (be it legal teams before them, or just someone else in another branch of the Agency).  You were smart to point out that IFR mention of the regs, because it's the most vague of them.  The VFR mention, the 121 and the 135 mentions all refer to prior to departure (or similar), yet the IFR mention is vague on where that is to be applied.  While my link isn't regulatory in nature, it's an official stance of the FAA, meaning it's saying "this is how we interpret this reg."

 

To that end, the declaration of an emergency is not a regulatory expectation should you note that you are using your reserve fuel.