B77W flight EGLL-SBGL today, with re-dispatch

[Richard McDonald Woods 168]

As a comparison, the flight was planned using PFPX with both re-dispatch and without it. Without re-dispatch, we would have been released with 92,888 kgs. Using re-dispatch with initial release to SBAR, we are released with 88,322 kgs, an avoidance in fuel costs to British Airways of around $4,500!

 

We are given GVAC (Sal, Cape Verde) and SBRF (Recife, Brazil) as our alternate airports, using an ETOPS of 240 minutes. With a take off weight of 313,020 kgs, QNH 1005 and V2 of 185 kts, our initial altitude will be FL310, with successive climbs to FL330, FL350 and FL370. Our cost index will be 120, and our resulting econ speed .833M.

 

We are expecting an overall tailwind of 5 kts for the trip, so we should arrive with a few minutes to spare. Out to the aircraft on stand 535! 

 

Flight preparation is going smoothly, and it looks as though we shall be airborne at around 0730z. Push back and taxi go smoothly, and we take off on runway 27R at 0733z into a 5 kts headwind on a beautiful English summer morning. Using STAR SAM2F, we climb to FL310 and exit over Southampton, noticing that there is quite a thunderstorm south of Bournemouth, but luckily that is to our near right as we turn to a more southerly heading at BEVEL.

 

Following our released flight plan, we flying over:

• Southamton (+00:09) and soon a full BA-style English breakfast will be served to our passengers
  
• Santander (+01:07), and many passengers will now be enjoying a film
  
• Toledo (+01:31)
  
• Seville (+01:52)
  
• Lanzarote (+03:06) looks completely cloudy down there
  
• Abeam GVAC (+04:55)
  
• ETOPS entry from GVAC (+05:50)
  
• Equal time point GVAC/SBRF (+06:30) (entered as an FMC fix), so no turning back now!
  
• ETOPS exit for SBRF (+06:50)
  
• Fernando de Noronha (+07:34)
  
• Abeam SBRF (+08:09)
  
• Re-dispatch fix RUBEN (+08:21) with minimum re-dispatch fuel of 17,560 kgs, and actual fuel at RUBEN of 22.0 tonnes, so we obtain airline re-release to SBGL
  
• Porto Seguro (+09:17)
  

 

Preparing for arrival: 

• the winds at SBGL are reported as 190/15, so I choose the GIGS1A STAR for the ILST for runway 15 with a Vref of 146 kts
  
• the STAR shows that we have to respect several altitudes during descent because of the surrounding high ground
  
• uploading the descent winds forecast shows winds from 273 to 295 degs, with reducing wind speed on descent
  
• arm the speedbrakes and set autobrakes to 2
  
• brief the approach and landing
  

 

Approach and landing:

• At +10:02, we start our descent into Rio
  
• cross the IAF at 6,300 ft
  
• perform a flaps30 landing on runway 15
  
• touch down at 18:01z, 2 mins early, with remaining fuel of 9,900 kgs (planned landing fuel 5,426 kgs)
  
• taxi to stand 6, and let all those expectant passengers stretch their legs and de-plane.
  

 

A good days work!

 

PS I believe that PFPX is wrong to have planned a westerly route with odd flight levels.

[tcas_climb 45]

Pfpx probably chose an odd level initially because the route probably went through an FIR that uses a North South hemispheric rule as opposed to East West

[PHXMD-11 86]

 

 

full BA-style English breakfast

 

Not sure what a BA-style breakfast looks like but sweet Jebus an English breakfast looks mouthwatering.

[blocks_off 5]

Nice insight to your flight Richard... Sounds like one of those days where everything comes together. Re-dispatch is something I still need to study.

Was this the LR or ER?

Hope you're well.

Carl

[mosteen 111]

Thanks for the nice write up Richard, second you Carl, I need to dive into re-dispatch too.

 

Cheers,

[Richard McDonald Woods 168]

Hi Carl, Morten!

 

The B77W is the B777-300ER.

 

In the end, re-dispatch is not too difficult to practice, especially as PFPX has an auto re-dispatch mechanism that you may use.

 

One of the reasons for my post was to encourage those who haven't dipped their toe into re-dispatch yet. It will need some reading, but well worth it if you fly longer sectors. And you can feel professional in all of the virtual fuel you have saved

 

Thanks for your remarks,

[blocks_off 5]

 

The B77W is the B777-300ER.

 

 

 

How silly do I feel? I looked all over the post to see if you'd mentioned the aircraft type - maybe I should have re-read the title 

[Ceri Hurlow 17]

Thank you Richard!