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Refer to figure.
A twin-jet aeroplane is being operated for a Commercial Air Transport flight. The Reduced Contingency Fuel (RCF) procedure is being applied. Given the following information, find the sum of the required Trip Fuel and Contingency Fuel.

TAS: 400 kt
Wind DEP-DP-DEST: 50 kt tailwind
Wind DP-A: 20 kt tailwind
Fuel consumption: 1500 kg/h
Alternate Fuel for DEST: 1000 kg
Alternate Fuel for A: 900 kg
Additional Fuel for DEST: not required
Additional Fuel for A: 900 kg
Extra Fuel: not required

  • A

    3395 kg

  • B

    3250 kg

  • C

    4050 kg

  • D

    3412 kg

Regulation (EU) No 965/2012
AMC1 CAT.OP.MPA.150(b) Fuel policy
PLANNING CRITERIA — AEROPLANES
(b) Reduced contingency fuel (RCF) procedure
If the operator’s fuel policy includes pre-flight planning to a destination 1 aerodrome (commercial destination) with an RCF procedure using a decision point along the route and a destination 2 aerodrome (optional refuel destination), the amount of usable fuel, on board for departure, should be the greater of (b)(1) or (b)(2):
(1) The sum of:

(i) taxi fuel; N/A
(ii) trip fuel to the destination 1 aerodrome, via the decision point; 4 000 kg
  • DEP to DEST 1 via DP: 900 NM + 300 NM = 1 200 NM
  • GS = TAS + Tailwind = 400 kt + 50 kt = 450 kt
  • Flight Time = 1 200 / 450 = 2 h 40 min
  • Fuel consumed = 2 h 40 x 1 500 kg/h = 4 000 kg
(iii) contingency fuel equal to not less than 5 % of the estimated fuel consumption from the decision point to the destination 1 aerodrome; 50 kg
  • Contingency fuel (5%) from DP to destination= (300 NM / 450 kt) x 1500 x 0.05 = 50 kg
(iv) alternate fuel or no alternate fuel if the decision point is at less than 6 hours from the destination 1 aerodrome and the requirements of CAT.OP.MPA.180(b)(2), are fulfilled; 1 000 kg
  • Alternate Fuel for DEST: 1000 kg
(v) final reserve fuel; N/A
(vi) additional fuel; and N/A
(vii) extra fuel if required by the commander. N/A
FOR (b)(1) – we have a value of 4 000 kg + 50 kg + 1 000 kg = 5 050 kg
(2) The sum of:
(i) taxi fuel; N/A
(ii) trip fuel to the destination 2 aerodrome, via the decision point; 3 000 kg + 250 kg = 3 250 kg
  • DEP to DP: 900 NM at a GS of 450 kt
  • Fuel consumed = (900 / 450) x 1 500 kg/h = 3 000 kg
  • DP to A: 70 NM at a GS of 420 kt
  • Fuel consumed = (70 / 420) x 1 500 kg/h = 250 kg
(iii) contingency fuel equal to not less than the amount calculated in accordance with (a)(3)(*) above from departure aerodrome to the destination 2 aerodrome; 5% x 3 250 kg = 162.5 kg
(iv) alternate fuel, if a destination 2 alternate aerodrome is required; 900 kg
  • Alternate Fuel for A: 900 kg
(v) final reserve fuel; N/A
(vi) additional fuel; 900 kg
  • Additional Fuel for A: 900 kg
(vii) extra fuel if required by the commander. N/A
FOR (b)(2) – we have a value of 3 250 kg + 162.5 kg + 900 kg + 900 kg = 5 212.5 kg (GREATER)
=> Therefore, we will calculate the trip fuel and contingency from the highest value which corresponds to (b)(2) =>

Trip fuel + Contingency fuel = 3 250 kg + 162.5 kg = 3412 kg


(*) (a) Basic procedure
(3) Contingency fuel, except as provided for in (b), which should be the higher of:
(i) Either:
(A) 5 % of the planned trip fuel or, in the event of in-flight replanning, 5 % of the trip fuel for the remainder of the flight;
(B) not less than 3 % of the planned trip fuel or, in the event of in-flight replanning, 3 % of the trip fuel for the remainder of the flight, provided that an en-route alternate (ERA) aerodrome is available;
(C) an amount of fuel sufficient for 20 minutes flying time based upon the planned trip fuel consumption, provided that the operator has established a fuel consumption monitoring programme for individual aeroplanes and uses valid data determined by means of such a programme for fuel calculation; or
(D) an amount of fuel based on a statistical method that ensures an appropriate statistical coverage of the deviation from the planned to the actual trip fuel. This method is used to monitor the fuel consumption on each city pair/aeroplane combination and the operator uses this data for a statistical analysis to calculate contingency fuel for that city pair/aeroplane combination;

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