Fuel Planner?

[omitchell]

When doing my flight planning I use a nifty little programme called EFASS - Electronic Flight Assistant (Freeware). Not bad for sorting out departures, arrivals, routes, and even gives me a passenger manifest with names BUT when it comes to fuel prediction it doesn't seem to be all that on to it because when I enter the figures in the FMC "INSUFFICIENT FUEL" .....

So my question is does anyone know of a decent fuel planner for pretty much all commercial jet aircraft? I fly A320, 737, 767, 747 and now 777 and 787...

[Kamoflarj]

QUOTE (omitchell @ Jul 23 2014,10:47 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When doing my flight planning I use a nifty little programme called EFASS - Electronic Flight Assistant (Freeware). Not bad for sorting out departures, arrivals, routes, and even gives me a passenger manifest with names BUT when it comes to fuel prediction it doesn't seem to be all that on to it because when I enter the figures in the FMC "INSUFFICIENT FUEL" .....

So my question is does anyone know of a decent fuel planner for pretty much all commercial jet aircraft? I fly A320, 737, 767, 747 and now 777 and 787...

I use Topcat, but something it doesn't really do is take in account for Cost index, cruise wind, OAT, altitude, It doesn't calculate reserves. It's good for getting your weights like TOW, LDW and calculating engine derating for takeoff...

So there's my, worthless 2.03 cents

[Ian Warren]

Strangely I check the tanks myself , real world I know a pilot who always overfilled his tanks on request, that was the Ansett days of 146's and strangely it happened twice this time off the year was diverted , one to Dunedin and other to Invercargill because Dunners was closed .. wise deciding on his choice, but always known to always load extra more than required.

[omitchell]

QUOTE (Kamoflarj @ Jul 23 2014,2:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I use Topcat, but something it doesn't really do is take in account for Cost index, cruise wind, OAT, altitude, It doesn't calculate reserves. It's good for getting your weights like TOW, LDW and calculating engine derating for takeoff...

So there's my, worthless 2.03 cents

I'll look into that one, cheers

QUOTE (Ian Warren @ Jul 23 2014,2:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Strangely I check the tanks myself

Kinda hard to do without sticking my head through my screen

[Kamoflarj]

QUOTE (Ian Warren @ Jul 23 2014,2:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Strangely I check the tanks myself , real world I know a pilot who always overfilled his tanks on request, that was the Ansett days of 146's and strangely it happened twice this time off the year was diverted , one to Dunedin and other to Invercargill because Dunners was closed .. wise deciding on his choice, but always known to always load extra more than required.

I usually land with full tanks in Queenstown. You never know how many times you'll have to go around!

[hoki1185]

You could try xFuel an app from google for mobiles and android tablets.I have only just downloaded it but did have some good reviews.

[Ian Warren]

QUOTE (Kamoflarj @ Jul 23 2014,4:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I usually land with full tanks in Queenstown. You never know how many times you'll have to go around!

Up there enjoying the view I guess .. wells now the airport has really increase regard to the traffic and yuppies, everything has changed in the last few years, so guessing .... forgot the aircraft almost fly on a oily rag these days.

QUOTE (omitchell @ Jul 23 2014,3:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Kinda hard to do without sticking my head through my screen

These flat screens today , no effort at all.

[omitchell]

QUOTE (hoki1185 @ Jul 23 2014,3:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You could try xFuel an app from google for mobiles and android tablets.I have only just downloaded it but did have some good reviews.

Will look into that one too, cheers

[cowpatz]

Try Simbrief
Nice freeware that will provide you with more than you will ever need.

[omitchell]

QUOTE (cowpatz @ Jul 23 2014,4:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Try Simbrief
Nice freeware that will provide you with more than you will ever need.

[AlisterC]

Personally I use Vroute Premium most of the time, but this comes in handy every now and again (quick and easy): http://fuelplanner.com/

[omitchell]

Ask a question,, get so many options. Another one to look into, thanks Alistair.

Thanks guys, appreciate the feedback. You have given me a lot to look into...

[cowpatz]

Owen it really depends how deep into the planning process you really want to go. Simbrief is pretty much a freeware equivalent to PFPX - Professional Flight Planner X.
Here you can calculate EDTO range circles and fuel as well as alternate reserves and contingency fuel. It can use real world winds and nav data. You can also apply a sort of "performance deterioration allowance" correction in the drop down selections.
In RW aircraft this is used to apply a correction to flight planning book figures due to inservice deterioration such as high hour engines or aircraft that develop more drag as they get older (warping, dirt and grime build up, airframe patches and additional aerial installations etc). Its very similar to a car using more fuel per KM as it gets older. So with Simbrief you can tweak this figure according to your flight experiences to get some very accurate fuel planning figures.
If you just want a basic idea of how much fuel you need to get from A to B then you can just fuel the aircraft until the Fuel at destination, on the progress page, indicates a sufficient amount for a reserve at destination and off you go.
The beauty of being able to print out a proper flight plan (and it is available in many real world airline formats) is that crossing an enroute waypoint you can compare the fuel on board with the minimum fuel required at that waypoint. This will give you a surplus figure (hopefully) and you
can compare this to other waypoints and see a trend forming ie. losing or gaining fuel. Very good for time keeping as well for things like VATSIM online flying.

[omitchell]

QUOTE (cowpatz @ Jul 24 2014,8:59 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Owen it really depends how deep into the planning process you really want to go. Simbrief is pretty much a freeware equivalent to PFPX - Professional Flight Planner X.
Here you can calculate EDTO range circles and fuel as well as alternate reserves and contingency fuel. It can use real world winds and nav data. You can also apply a sort of "performance deterioration allowance" correction in the drop down selections.
In RW aircraft this is used to apply a correction to flight planning book figures due to inservice deterioration such as high hour engines or aircraft that develop more drag as they get older (warping, dirt and grime build up, airframe patches and additional aerial installations etc). Its very similar to a car using more fuel per KM as it gets older. So with Simbrief you can tweak this figure according to your flight experiences to get some very accurate fuel planning figures.
If you just want a basic idea of how much fuel you need to get from A to B then you can just fuel the aircraft until the Fuel at destination, on the progress page, indicates a sufficient amount for a reserve at destination and off you go.
The beauty of being able to print out a proper flight plan (and it is available in many real world airline formats) is that crossing an enroute waypoint you can compare the fuel on board with the minimum fuel required at that waypoint. This will give you a surplus figure (hopefully) and you
can compare this to other waypoints and see a trend forming ie. losing or gaining fuel. Very good for time keeping as well for things like VATSIM online flying.

For the purposes, I have a decent planning software for the flight (Right down to SID/STAR selection) it just fails at fuel calc which is what I'm after. That site that as you mention is a freeware PFPX but so is what I'm using, it just looks like the site is a little more onto it in terms of fuel planning than what I am currently using which is defiantly what I need.