Boeing 747-400 FUEL IMBALANCE/BALANCING PROCEDURES

Hello everyone! How do you do! As promised, this is the full video dealing with procedures for verifying that you do not have a fuel leak and balancing fuel. I’ve previously shown you the items to check on the QRH to verify that you do NOT have a fuel leak. One common factor in all the checklists for the different FUEL IMBAL EICAS messages is that there is a need to first verify that you do not have a fuel leak. So the preamble at the start of the respective checklist is identical. In case you are wondering why we have to balance the fuel, it is because if we didn’t, it can cause an increase in aerodynamic drag, result in extra trimming etc, thus increasing the fuel consumption. The fuel quantities that trigger FUEL IMBAL 1-4, or FUEL IMBAL 2-3 appear odd right? As in 1360 kgs and 2720kgs- this is because the aircraft is manufactured in the USA and the units of calibration used are pounds. So for operators in the USA for example where fuel units are in pounds, the quantities are 3000 lbs and 6000 pounds (which converted to Kgs comes to 1360kg for tanks 1-4 and 2720kgs for tanks 2-3)- it’s purely a difference in units used.
A few days ago I had to balance the fuel flying from Penang to Phnom Pehn after the EICAS indicated ‘FUEL IMBALANCE’. Once you watch this video, you will know what that means😀. The last thing I’ll mention is the message ‘FUEL TANK/ENG’. This message shows so that the pilots can configure the fuel for each tank to feed its respective engine. This of course needs the fuel quantities in each tank to be balanced as for all intensive purposes, the engines consume similar amounts of fuel. Anyway- hope it all makes sense. ‘Chi Di Gin! Later😀

[@emmanuelosaghae6566]

Thank you Captain. Very well explained. If all senior Captains/ Instructors would break it down like Captain Mazinyi, flying will be much more pleasurable. Thank you once again Captain.

[@pilot_obet7815]

My pleasure

[@jesuschal3802]

Me not being a pilot nor anything close to it... Me: OMG, you can turn the engines on just like that.... ??? Pilot_obet: in the simulator, you see I can do anything... Me: (ufff...) So good these short videos for enthusiastic laymen like me... thank you so much!

[@mykelholloway7231]

I love your videos all I ever wanted to do was pilot an large aircraft

[@chadnga8]

So awesome to see the triple redundancy built into every system in modern planes! If our cars only had this much safety built in!

[@Maersky-747]

@Pilot_obet - Another great video explaining 'fuel imbalance/balancing' procedures. There is a video on KZbin relating to what @Pilot_obet refers to in his video. Air Transat Flight 236 was a transatlantic flight bound for Lisbon, Portugal, from Toronto, Canada, that lost all engine power while flying over the Atlantic Ocean on August 24, 2001. The Airbus A330 ran out of fuel due to a fuel leak caused by improper maintenance. Captain Robert Piché, 48, an experienced glider pilot, and First Officer Dirk de Jager, 28, glided the plane to a successful emergency landing in the Azores, saving all 306 people (293 passengers and 13 crew) on board. Most of the passengers on the flight were Canadians visiting Europe or Portuguese expatriates returning to visit family in Portugal. This was also the longest passenger aircraft glide without engines, gliding for nearly 75 miles or 120 km. Following this unusual aviation accident, this aircraft was nicknamed the "Azores Glider". Here's a link to the video ... kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpuVk51ogsl3gdU

[@pilot_obet7815]

Thanks- I watched it and read about it at the time too😊

[@boswelljuggdesh2643]

What an interesting story! Thank you for this.

[@olly7723]

Very informative and really interesting, thank you Captain! ✈️

[@B747-4OO]

Very interesting!! Thanks for this overview!

[@maxdenhaag1]

WoW PMDG did a great job !!

[@moelsaiem7693]

Hi Captain. Obet I wish you do a trip with Sam Chui ,that would be awesome

[@jcsk8]

That would be epic.

[@ionewingedangel1712]

Stay safe captain. Hope the quarantine isn't treating you to badly.

[@cargoluxpilot]

Nice one as always!

[@kellyjohnson9394]

Awesome insight captain!

[@212MPH]

I love your video's, your a pleasure to listen to, very humble as well.

[@daftvader4218]

For each plane ...Yes.

[@mr2646]

Very clearly explained. Wow. Thx Cpt

[@douglasnisbet1189]

Thanks for these brilliant videos

[@user-kj2it3qy6u]

Keep up the great video's! Please do a video on fuel ops in the 744/748 with low CWT quantity.

[@Jorgeola757]

Excellent video Captain. You would make a great teacher. Thanks for sharing.

[@chrissteer001]

Phenomenal videos!!! You explain things so well and are so much fun to watch.

[@KeunMikeun]

Fascinating!

[@robd2184]

I’ve just done the TR, so this is useful as the explanations of “ tank to engine “ and balancing were not great so thanks !

[@a320nick]

Fun flying, can't be beaten!🎄☃️🇬🇧

[@celiosouza9939]

Very Good your vídeo, capitain! This vídeo show me a problem in simulation with PMDG 747...thaks!

[@daftvader4218]

Rule of thumb.Max imbalance. For Eng. 1 and 4 it's 1.4 tons. Other limits are double.... You'll never forget that !!! AND don't mess around with the valves for small imbalances. ...

[@robertoblanco1581]

Thank you captain

[@simonramseyer147]

brilliant , thanks

[@greatagqc]

Thanks

[@BigNick10]

Thank you, you just helped me in flight simulator!! lol

[@MichaelCarterShow]

#salute!!!! my gud brotha

[@visakhvisakh6028]

More systems videos expecting captain

[@handymatt1970]

When you activate the x-feed i think of Capt. Piche over the Atlantic 6:19

[@AVIATIONSOUNDEXPERT]

How is the situation at Cathay Cargo? In the media I red many articles in the past weeks about fired pilots who left a hotel in Frankfurt. Also I red that many pilots of the passenger line quitted their job because of the regulations for Corona and quarantine.

[@pilot_obet7815]

Some of it is true

[@clai889]

wow that is a great introduction for x feed actions, hope to see you on Chinese flights…

[@khalifehalsafetli7907]

Thanks for the great vids, much appreciated. But out if curiosity, why does the manifold needs to be pressurized "you mentioned safety reasons" i am just intrigued. Thanks again Captain.

[@yz8096]

That was very cool, Captian! Are all engines on the 747 the same size with the same rate of fuel consumption?

[@AM-on5ql]

How do you check if there’s a leak?

[@abgcapital4597]

Can the pump be manipulated while flying ?

[@arifvural1275]

Dayi makine'ni denge'de tut , Allah korusun hepimiz gideriz

[@radwi69]

Super …..later ;)

[@AnonymaxUK]

Why does it always look like the inboard fuel tanks are cross-feeding each other's engine?

[@aqidaabubakar40]

About the name of the aircraft itself Cathay Pacific does it come from the channel route across the Pacific ocean or Something please explain Captain Obet🤔

[@Mirachero]

later

[@patrickmasai1141]

Last course of action: Engaged jettison valve?@$

[@daftvader4218]

Great. ... Strange figures for balance? It's an American designed aircraft ! For tanks 1 and 4 it's 3000lbs. For tanks 2 and 3 it's double 6000lbs. Simples!! Divide those figures by 2.20462 and you get 1360 kgs and 2720kgs. Remember that six months after your conversation course??? Easy!! The max imbalance between tanks 1 and 4 is 1.4 kgs. For 2 and 3 ....double that !! Please don't balance the tanks when there is a 300-400 kg difference when you are in the middle of the Pacific with 80 tonnes of fuel...you are well within limits !!!! Pumps can fail ....and you could fail to monitor !!!!!

[@GamingAmbienceLive]

thanks captain