A few dispatch related questions

[KORDATC 80]

So on Thursday, I was on the inaugural United 777-300ER flight from EWR-SFO. At the end, the captain gave me the dispatch release and OFP for the flight. After reading through it, there are a few things I can't seem to find on google and was wondering if maybe anyone here knows.

1.) The first item I don't understand is a fuel entry labeled "ACF90" with 5 minutes next to it. What is ACF90? In addition to the fuel entry, in the dispatch remarks there is a line that says: "ACF90=05/ACF99=06 SAMPLE=64 AVGBDE=00 STDEV=00". I don't know if all of those relate to the ACF90, but maybe someone else knows more?

2.)Next up, there is also a line that says: "IA: KEWR-KSTL-KABQ-KLAS-KSFO". Now to me these sound like they should be enroute alternates, but some of them do not make sense such as KSTL instead of KORD, considering it's United. Not to mention enroute doesn't start with an I.

3.) Finally, there is another fuel entry labeled Extra with 38 minutes of fuel. Now, I realize extra is extra, but in the dispatch notes, the dispatcher writes: "Extra Fuel For Alt Flex". What does this mean? The alternate was KSJC which has it's own fuel entry of 15min not including the extra fuel.

It was a pretty cool flight, and I highly recommend for anyone living in the US to try out the new Polaris before it switches to Intl. routes only. I'm gonna have to buy the 777 now.

[ahsmatt7 1,199]

So on Thursday, I was on the inaugural United 777-300ER flight from EWR-SFO. At the end, the captain gave me the dispatch release and OFP for the flight. After reading through it, there are a few things I can't seem to find on google and was wondering if maybe anyone here knows.

1.) The first item I don't understand is a fuel entry labeled "ACF90" with 5 minutes next to it. What is ACF90? In addition to the fuel entry, in the dispatch remarks there is a line that says: "ACF90=05/ACF99=06 SAMPLE=64 AVGBDE=00 STDEV=00". I don't know if all of those relate to the ACF90, but maybe someone else knows more?

2.)Next up, there is also a line that says: "IA: KEWR-KSTL-KABQ-KLAS-KSFO". Now to me these sound like they should be enroute alternates, but some of them do not make sense such as KSTL instead of KORD, considering it's United. Not to mention enroute doesn't start with an I.

3.) Finally, there is another fuel entry labeled Extra with 38 minutes of fuel. Now, I realize extra is extra, but in the dispatch notes, the dispatcher writes: "Extra Fuel For Alt Flex". What does this mean? The alternate was KSJC which has it's own fuel entry of 15min not including the extra fuel.

It was a pretty cool flight, and I highly recommend for anyone living in the US to try out the new Polaris before it switches to Intl. routes only. I'm gonna have to buy the 777 now.

The only answer I can give you is on the extra fuel

It's most likely for altitude deviations away from the planned altittude. say that the flight was planned at FL370 but the rides are better at FL350, then the extra fuel is for the extra burn. I'm only speculating but we have this built I to our releases at my airline.

[KORDATC 80]

The only answer I can give you is on the extra fuel

It's most likely for altitude deviations away from the planned altittude. say that the flight was planned at FL370 but the rides are better at FL350, then the extra fuel is for the extra burn. I'm only speculating but we have this built I to our releases at my airline.

 

Thanks for that.  I was thinking Alternate instead of altitude for some reason.   That makes more sense though.

 

Regards,

Rob

[voske 34]

I think ACF means Analyzed Contingency Fuel. My guess would be something like:

90% of the samples = 5 minutes

99% of the samples = 6 minutes

Number of samples = 64

Standard deviation = 0 minutes

[ACAJS41 2]

On ‎2‎/‎19‎/‎2017 at 10:05 AM, KORDATC said:

So on Thursday, I was on the inaugural United 777-300ER flight from EWR-SFO. At the end, the captain gave me the dispatch release and OFP for the flight. After reading through it, there are a few things I can't seem to find on google and was wondering if maybe anyone here knows.

1.) The first item I don't understand is a fuel entry labeled "ACF90" with 5 minutes next to it. What is ACF90? In addition to the fuel entry, in the dispatch remarks there is a line that says: "ACF90=05/ACF99=06 SAMPLE=64 AVGBDE=00 STDEV=00". I don't know if all of those relate to the ACF90, but maybe someone else knows more?

2.)Next up, there is also a line that says: "IA: KEWR-KSTL-KABQ-KLAS-KSFO". Now to me these sound like they should be enroute alternates, but some of them do not make sense such as KSTL instead of KORD, considering it's United. Not to mention enroute doesn't start with an I.

3.) Finally, there is another fuel entry labeled Extra with 38 minutes of fuel. Now, I realize extra is extra, but in the dispatch notes, the dispatcher writes: "Extra Fuel For Alt Flex". What does this mean? The alternate was KSJC which has it's own fuel entry of 15min not including the extra fuel.

It was a pretty cool flight, and I highly recommend for anyone living in the US to try out the new Polaris before it switches to Intl. routes only. I'm gonna have to buy the 777 now.

1. Avg contingency fuel based on UAL research and averages for that route over a certain time period

2. Those are drift down alternates for different scenarios (ie. 1/2/3 engine failures, rapid decompress, mtn terrain etc etc)

3. This is extra fuel added by the dispatcher to give the crew some relief on flying a lower altitude or multiple up and down changes due to turbulence or mountain wave.

[skysurfer 76]

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[ahsmatt7 1,199]

32 minutes ago, skysurfer said:

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post of the day folks...

[skysurfer 76]

19 hours ago, ahsmatt7 said:

post of the day folks...

Yes. Accidentally. Glad you noted. 

[skysurfer 76]

ACF is Analysed Contingency Fuel, this is a new approach for managing additional fuel. 

"...how much extra fuel was needed for 10 percent of the flights" - it is actually 90 and 99% accordingly, not 10%.  

IA string is Intermediate airports, those airports are along the route within 60 mins. Those are not drifdown as it was mentioned above. For driftdown and ETOPS different codes are used.

"ACF90=05/ACF99=06 SAMPLE=64 AVGBDE=00 STDEV=00"   this part will be gone because it is confusing and not much info can be used from it. It is more for programmers. 

 "Extra Fuel For Alt Flex"... this is what diaptchers add into dispatch release to explain the crew and the company how much extra fuel dispatcher add above the policy. 

Thx 

[ACAJS41 2]

On ‎3‎/‎4‎/‎2017 at 4:38 PM, skysurfer said:

ACF is Analysed Contingency Fuel, this is a new approach for managing additional fuel. 

"...how much extra fuel was needed for 10 percent of the flights" - it is actually 90 and 99% accordingly, not 10%.  

IA string is Intermediate airports, those airports are along the route within 60 mins. Those are not drifdown as it was mentioned above. For driftdown and ETOPS different codes are used.

"ACF90=05/ACF99=06 SAMPLE=64 AVGBDE=00 STDEV=00"   this part will be gone because it is confusing and not much info can be used from it. It is more for programmers. 

 "Extra Fuel For Alt Flex"... this is what diaptchers add into dispatch release to explain the crew and the company how much extra fuel dispatcher add above the policy. 

Thx 

If your a United dispatcher then ill buy your conclusions, but some of this doesn't make sense to me.

 "Extra Fuel For Alt Flex"... this is what diaptchers add into dispatch release to explain the crew and the company how much extra fuel dispatcher add above the policy.

That doesn't make a bit of sense, but like I said if your a United dispatcher then I cant disagree.  How does Alt Flex have anything to do with fuel added above policy?

At the company I work for (not UAL) we use much of the same codes, and if using drift down method 1 IA airports are drift down alternates.  I was a dispatcher in a previous life, although now I've been a pilot for the past 20 years.  Our releases have many of the same codes, so maybe at UAL they're different, but I just don't see how. 

[skysurfer 76]

"How does Alt Flex have anything to do with fuel added above policy?"

An Airline makes its own fuel policy based on FAR. The fuel policy maybe a bit complicated and I can't explain it in every detail because it will take all day. In brief there is fuel planning guidance you have to follow, If you exceed the guidance then you have to explain why remaining fuel is greater than company advises you to plan. 

"At the company I work for we use much of the same codes, and if using drift down method 1 IA airports are drift down alternates."

Those codes are system related and they may not be the same. 

"Our releases have many of the same codes, so maybe at UAL they're different, but I just don't see how."

We have many codes. I worked in different airlines and those codes we used those days were different either. So it depends on the system.