On 2005-08-18, Jay Honeck wrote:
IMHO, proper fuel management means never even coming *close* to running a
tank dry, let alone doing it intentionally.

How close is close?

I prefer to not run a tank dry (and NEVER with passengers, even pilot
passengers), however consider this.

My old Cessna 140 (and other early high wing Cessnas, like the C180) has
fuel pickups in the inboard centre of the tank. This necessitates a 'No
takeoff zone' for the last quarter of each tank due to the risk of the
fuel unporting with the nose pitched up for takeoff.

1/4 of a tank is 30 minutes of fuel in most of these planes. At my
planned point of landing, I want at least this much fuel + 30 minutes
extra _in a single tank_ to ensure I can do a go around, fly to a new
airport and do a go around there too.

On a long cross country, to not 'come close' to running one tank dry
would really kill the range of the aircraft. My usual procedure is to
run one tank almost dry so I have plenty above the 'no takeoff zone' in
the remaining tank when I arrive. To have the other tank nowhere near
that would require a huge cut in range.

--
Dylan Smith, Castletown, Isle of Man
Flying: http://www.dylansmith.net
Frontier Elite Universe: http://www.alioth.net
"Maintain thine airspeed, lest the ground come up and smite thee"