you had 6 gallons left, bet the pucker factor was really kicking in


ArtP wrote:

On 09 Oct 2003 17:00:51 GMT, (Hankal) wrote:

I am filing a flight plan 750 NM.
I have 3 fuel stops appr venly spaced. I have 48 gallon usable and burn 11 gph.
I could make this trip with only 2 stops, but choose 3. I save about $100.00 by
landing at places where fuel is less that the big airports.
Many of my pilot friends tell me that I am crazy (which may be) Once airborne
they tell me they do not land unless they need fuel.
What is you opinion? Am I to frugual or conservative.
Hank

I flew from the DC (KGAI) area to Kansas. I planned a fuel stop in
French Lick, In. (KFRH) it was halfway and they had cheap fuel. The
predicted ceiling was 1500 feet so I filed an alternate at
Bloomington, In. (KBMG) which had an ILS and a predicted ceiling of
2500. On the way out the predicted 20 knot head wind was 60 knots so a
dropped from 12,000 feet to 4,000 feet. It was solid IMC but the head
winds were only 30 knots. I still had enough fuel for the flight and
everything below me was below minimums (the weather was moving east as
expected). When I got to French Lick, I flew the GPS approach to the
minimum 500 feet but I was still in solid IMC so I declared a missed
approach and went to Bloomington. The 2500 foot ceiling was 300 feet.
I missed on the first attempt, on the second I broke out and landed. I
still had 6 gallons when I landed, but the fuel warning light was on
from just before French Lick and that didn't improve my frame of mind.
Luckily I wasn't pushing the limits of fuel when I planned the flight,
but I decided that I would never again plan a fuel stop at an airport
without an ILS, I don't care how much cheaper the gas is.