Excess Fuel

Position: 100 mi. west of Littlerock
Altitude: 34,000 feet
Groundspeed: 483 mph (420 kts)
Equipment: A320
Pax-on-Board: 150
Destination: KLAS (Las Vegas)

Airborne...

What a trip! It is day three of four, most of it a blur of miles on the jet airways. We have been hubbing out of KATL (Atlanta), the busiest airport in the world, for two days. Finally, today, we broke free like Captain Kirk from a Klingon tractor beam and are heading for Lost Wages with 150 folks.

This captain's stress levels have re-entered the green arc and are slowly falling. That grin of a Cheshire cat underneath the bird cage is back.

We are in the sweet spot of aviation weather for the year; the first three weeks of October. The sky is relaxing from the summer turmoil, taking a breather before the polar air masses begin their southern migration. Ahead of us, as far as these middle-aged eyes can see, nothing but cold blue.

Atlanta ATC asked us if we could depart on a different runway than advertised on the automated information, which we agreed to immediately. Airborne in seven minutes from engine start, instead of the forecast 44 minute taxi time was a wonderful thing, except for the excess fuel we are now carrying.

Excess fuel? What is that? Never heard of it...

Our flight is landing weight limited on this leg. That means that we will be at landing weight on final approach at KLAS; anymore fuel, even a small amount, will make us too heavy to land. My dispatcher figured the fuel load to the nth degree and it is a beautiful fuel column, literally a work of art.

Stay with me here... I promise to keep it short and simple.

The weather at KLAS is marginal, so we have fuel for an alternate 30 minutes away, three turns in holding, and the legally required 45 minute reserve. The fuel planning has to be exact, with no room to wiggle, except, maybe, the holding fuel. Yes, we can burn into the reserve, but that is another area altogether requiring a paperwork exercise that can be unpleasant.

In case of a delayed approach and landing, a few turns in holding allows both pilots to mentally re-group, recalculate fuel to the alternate, and send a Fi-Fi message to Mother. Sometimes it takes two turns before talking to dispatch... A dispatcher will typically handle 20 to 40 flights. If six of them are holding at the same fix you are... Well, you can see the problem.

Under normal circumstances, the captain and dispatcher need to confer about the best course of action. I have had a few occasions when I did not have the fuel to wait, so I made the decision and told dispatch later... The captain must be very careful doing this course of action, though. How strong is that tree limb?

Back to ppos (present position)...

High-altitude sunlight is flooding my side of the flightdeck with warm, white light. I have raised the gold colored cellophane sun shields to cover most of the Plexiglas on the left side. Recent warnings about the effects of high-altitude solar radiation on flight crews have convinced me to carry sun block in my flight bag; I am not sure if it helps, but I apply it to my left arm and face, anyway.

What I am about to do next is almost unforgivable... Descend to thicker air and burn more fuel.

ATC clears us to 30,000 feet and I set a vertical speed of 1500 feet per minute in the auto-pilot... Down we go as the fuel burn goes up. This will not take too long as we are not that much overweight. When the fuel load is correct, confirmed by the flight plan check points, we will climb back to cruise altitude.

Over Peaches (PGS- Peach Springs)...

Through the approach gate for Lost Wages at 25,000 feet and 300 knots indicated. We are still about 300 pounds too heavy... This fits into the category of measuring with a micrometer and cutting with an axe. No one knows the exact weight of the aircraft; it can be several thousand pounds either side of the final weight from Mother. However, there must be hard limitations to which we strictly adhere.

Prino intersection...

Crossing Prino at 8,000 feet and 210 knots indicated... Time to throw the landing gear out and burn some more fuel. The big gear doors open into the slip stream and the mains and nose lock in position. That will do it...

Runway 25 Left... The Stopping Program...

Touchdown at maximum landing weight and, allegedly, not one pound over. Reverse thrust triggers are pulled up and over opening the cascade vanes for maximum reverse thrust. The spoilers on top of the wings rise to maximum extension destroying the lift. The Electric Jet transfers her weight to the landing gear and after three seconds begins to apply brakes via the braking computers. Lord, I do love this aircraft!

Clearing both parallel runways, we raise flaps, stow spoilers, turn off lights and call operations with a, "We're here!" We can see day-glo orange vests scrambling for our arrival at the gate.

We have 42 minutes to turn this baby for KLAX. More than enough time... Heck, that is enough for a crew frappuccino run to Starbucks; captain is buying, of course.

Life on the Line continues...