FENIX A320 - Cruise & Fuel Checks | Tutorial Series Part 5

[@GastonDwarvenPilot]

Thanks for this useful video Gav! Always learning something new on this airplane

[@karlos417]

Great video and very informative.enjoyed how to check the fuel

[@DeepFutureSim]

Thanks for making these Gavin , appreciated

[@hobbytechgearID69]

Always insightful thx

[@warpig3650]

Hi seen you had the easyJet interior in the cabin how did yiu get this

[@markjackson5333]

Is there sound control on this plane. Cabin and engines are far too quiet on decent and in cruise it's extremely rumbly

[@markjackson5333]

@@gilnowak2398 yeah sounds good. Just unrealistically quiet on decent

[@volkerthies4135]

Hi Gavin. I like your videos very much. Allow me one question, please. Which easyjet virtual airline you are flying for at VATSIM? I'm a member of gravity virtual air and I'm looking for a new or a second company. Which one do you prefer?

[@Easyjetsimpilot]

I don't fly for any virtual airlines 😁

[@cgmendez95]

Do you play in res 1920x1080?

[@Easyjetsimpilot]

Yes.

[@prosst0ss]

I have one question. I’ve been simming for about 3 years. I’ve almost exclusively flown Boeing aircraft from PMDG and QualityWings etc. Would you say this aircraft is worth picking up for someone who has never flown Airbus?

[@prosst0ss]

Great video btw

[@adl320]

If you enjoy deeply simulated aircraft systems, yes. Given you are familiar with PMDG, It’s totally worth it just be ready to learn to speak a new language. But that’s the fun of it.

[@prosst0ss]

@@adl320 I’ll buy it when I can. Look forward to learning how to fly this beautiful looking aircraft

[@HowlingCrazy]

@@prosst0ss what you could do is check out the fbw free addon. Most if not all fenix users started with that I still frequently fire it up too.

[@VmcgHD]

1.2 + 0.2 = 1.6?? 🤦‍♂️ 😉😉

[@HowlingCrazy]

I had to rewind to make sure I heard it right too😉

[@Inguemar]

Also the 205kg of fuel are already in the block fuel, so should not add to calculate the difference I think. But maybe I missed something 🧐

[@VmcgHD]

@@Inguemar I understand what you mean. But contingency fuel is simply a legal planning requirement. You HAVE to have this within your final minimum block fuel to account for various reasons. Deviating around weather, flying a bit lower than initially planned etc. Essentially it’s “free” extra fuel that you need to depart with. But because once you’re airborne it no longer is included in any purpose (trip, alternate or final reserve), it’s extra fuel you have in your pocket. Say for example Gav had taken exactly minimum block fuel (6.8t), he’d find (assuming no fuel leak) he’d be approximately 200 kgs up in fuel at every fuel check. The fuel required at each waypoint is the minimum you must have in the tanks at that point to reach your destination on CNR (alternate + final reserve). So he’d likely be 200 kgs above these values because he had 205 kgs of contingency fuel he hasn’t actually used. If he starts deviating for weather, this 200 kgs extra will start to deplete. Because Gav took 1.2t extra on top of minimum block fuel, the total he should have extra at every fuel check is the sum of the extra + contingency. 1.2 + 0.2 in this case. So, at every fuel check he should be about 1.4t up on the minimum value he needs at each waypoint. This value needs to be translated into time and gives you an idea of how long at your destination you’ll have to hang around should you go around or not be able to start an approach. Final reserve is 30 minutes and this equates to about 1.0-1.2 t of fuel. So 1.4 t is going to be about 35-40 minutes extra fuel you have to hold or go around and make another approach before you have to make a decision whether to commit to the destination or divert. This is a very healthy amount of extra fuel to have and gives you a lot of thinking time. 200 kgs would only give you 5-8 minutes of extra thinking time. Although this is a lot less, on a lovely CAVOK day where you’re not anticipating any delays, departing with minimum block fuel is not only safe and legal, it’s also quite common. If this extra fuel value at each waypoint decreases over time on a long flight, you either have a fuel leak (would be noticeable very quickly), the winds aren’t as forecast or more likely the sims fuel burn isn’t exactly aligned with the fuel burn prediction in your OFP. 👍

[@Inguemar]

@@VmcgHD thanks for your precision. If I understand clearly, this is because the actual fuel has to be compared to the minimum fuel at each waypoint in OFP that does not take these 205kg in account, but only trip, alternate and final fuel.

[@VmcgHD]

@@Inguemar basically yes. And it depends on what OFP format you look at. Gav uses the EasyJet format. Some other formats may not display it the same way. The fuel at each waypoint is basically how much fuel you need to have, so that you’d have exactly CNR fuel at the missed approach point at destination. Because contingency is not alternate or final reserve fuel, it’s extra on top of these two. So as long as you aren’t using it deviating around weather, this will be included in the calculation. Because you’ve always got at least contingency fuel, the amount of fuel you actually have at each waypoint should be at least what it says on the OFP plus contingency fuel. Plus any extra if you’ve taken it. Hope that makes sense.