OM-A Flight Planning

Question 1

Destination Airport approach required and application of weather

Answer 1

• an approved instrument approach procedure must be available
• planning- wx reports and forecast should indicate at or above planning minima 1hour before and after ETA
  (if flight is less than 1 hour, actual weather and trend at ETA shall be used for planning)

Question 2

Destination Alternate Airport. When do you not need one?
What do you need when you don’t meet this requirement?
OFP requirement when you don’t have a dest altn?

Answer 2

• when flight time doesn`t exceed 6 hours

and

• two separate runways are available
• wx at ETA 1 hour before and after, ceiling at least 2000 feet or FDB circling MDH + 500 feet and visibility 5km

When you don`t meet this requirement you need at least one destination alternate airport

(8.1.7.2.7- you need additional 15min fuel for holding at 1500ft above dest in the OFP)

Question 3

Destination Alternate Airport. When do you need two?

Answer 3

• When the wx at destination 1 hour before and after ETA will be below applicable planning minima

or

• no wx information available

Question 4

Destination Alternate Airport. Can you select it as an alternate if the IAP relies on GNSS?

Answer 4

Yes, if the destination IAP isn`t predicated on GNSS. (note that this is in planning chapter)

Question 5

Takeoff alternate Definition and explanation

Answer 5

When it is not possible to use the departure airport as a takeoff alternate airport due to wx or performance.
395 or 780 nm depends on ETOPS or not. (OEI cruise in still air ISA conditions)

T/O alternate must be specified in OFP.

Take into account certain MEL items like APU gen inop. If you return single engine on a single electrical source then you can`t do Low vis

If you look at planning minima, takeoff alternate has higher required minima (in most cases CAT I or better) so think carefully before saying that your departure airport can serve as your takeoff alternate

Question 6

Types of Enroute Alternate Airports, before and after dispatch?

Answer 6

Prior to Dispatch:
ETOPS
Fuel ERA
Terrain Alternate
Intermediate Alternate

After Dispatch:
any adequate airport​ at​ which an​ airplane​ would be​ able​ to​ ​land if​ a​ diversion becomes​ necessary​ inflight

Question 7

Fuel Enroute Alternate picture

Answer 7

Question 8

Application and time period of TAF to Planning

Answer 8

TAF is applicable from the start of the TAF period up to the end of the the period, unless FM, BECMG is given, then applicable up to then.

TAF should be fully applied with the exception of the mean wind and gusts, as well as when there is a PROB or TEMPO where after the table “APPLICATION​ OF​ AIRPORT FORECAST​ FOLLOWING​ THE​ CHANGE​ INDICATION​ IN​ TAF​ AND​ TREND” needs to be applied

Question 9

LRC- historical definition

Answer 9

the speed above MRC (max range cruise) that will result in a 1 percent decrease in fuel mileage in terms of nautical miles per kilogram of fuel burned

Question 10

Why CI speed and not just LRC (in short)

Answer 10

Because fuel is not the only direct cost associated with a flight, a further refinement in the speed for most economical operation is ECON speed, based on the entered CI

Question 11

The best strategy to conserve fuel, LRC or CI 0

Answer 11

the best strategy to conserve fuel is to select a very
low cost index, with zero providing the maximum
range

Question 12

FECO, definition

Answer 12

fuel​ economy​ value.​
Based on departure​ and destination fuel​ ​prices,​ the approximate cost​ (+/-)​ of carrying​ 1,000​ KG of ​extra​ fuel​ to​ the next​ point.​

If it is negative it would cost you so many dollars to carry extra, if it is positive you would save so many dollars for carrying a ton extra