Running dry?

Greg Copeland wrote:

On take off? Doesn't that mean the PIC failed to properly fuel the plane
rather than invalidate the strategy? How was that not pilot error, pure
and simple?

This was a floatplane operation in Alaska. He landed at an Eskimo hunting camp
to determine where he was. No fuel available. Yes, it was pilot error. His
aircraft had 7 tanks of somewhat indeterminate size. Only one had a gauge. Post
would run one dry after another until he was flying on the one with the gauge.
He was still on number 6 when the engine quit. His floatplane takeoff technique
also left something to be desired, so the plane almost immediately stalled and
went in. Post was crushed by the engine. Rogers was not strapped in.

Me, I prefer to never let the gauges get below 1/8 tank on either of my mains
(and I had no auxiliary tanks in my aircraft). For one thing, that ensures that
I have fuel in that sort of situation even if I forget to switch to the fullest
tank for takeoff.

George Patterson
Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a person to
use the Internet and he won't bother you for weeks.

Don't do it. Upsets the wife.

I bought a fuel computer (JPI add-on to my EDM). I know exactely how
much fuel is in each tank.

That's why God invented fuel computers. I know exactly how long I have
left on each tank and I don't need to scar the crap out of my wife and
pax to do it.

Greg Copeland writes:

How many run their tank(s) dry as part of their fuel
management strategy?

I sometimes do. I did it much more years ago than I do now (mostly because
I'm lazy). I especially like that it lets me calibrate my calculations. I
usually run on both sets of tanks (switching at least once) before I run
one dry. It scares me to think that I might switch to a set of tanks with
contaminated fuel. (I sometimes only top off one set of tanks.)

--kyler

"Jim Burns" writes:

Well, even disregarding the potential safety issues, we have fuel injected
engines and our electric fuel pumps have great big red stickers on them that
say DO NOT RUN DRY.

I concur. Don't run them dry. Leave 'em off.

--kyler

That's why God invented fuel computers. I know exactly how long I have
left on each tank...

You think you know. You might find that the computer has a surprise for
you. All the other computers in my life have surprises for me.

Jose
--
Quantum Mechanics is like this: God =does= play dice with the universe,
except there's no God, and there's no dice. And maybe there's no universe.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

That's why God invented fuel computers. I know exactly how long I have
left on each tank and I don't need to scar the crap out of my wife and
pax to do it.

Interestingly enough, that was exactly the logic I was using the one
time I inadvertently ran a tank dry on my Twin Comanche. I was quite
surprised - there was supposed to be another 30 minutes of fuel left in
that tank.

Fuel computers are not infallible. However, I do agree that if you use
your fuel computer to draw ALL the fuel from the tank that is supposed
to be there, that's just as good as running one dry. It just doesn't
work if you leave, say, a 30m minute reserve there that you plan to get
later if you need it. It may not be there.

Michael

"Greg Copeland" wrote in message news
In September 2004 issue of AOPA Flight Training, Mark Cook has an article,
"No Fueln' Around". Under the "Selector boy" side article, he mentions
that he runs some of his tanks dry in his Bellanca Viking. In at least
one of John Deakin's articles
(http://www.avweb.com/news/columns/182044-1.html), he not only recommends
running tanks dry but puts forth a powerful argument that it's a
responsible fuel management strategy. Furthermore, Deakin also offers
that he has never found an NTSB accident report related to a failed engine
start when running a tank dry and switching to the next. Both guys
recommend setting a timer a couple of minutes before the tank should run
dry; which acts of both early warning and as validation of your
anticipated fuel consumption.

Is this common? How many run their tank(s) dry as part of their fuel
management strategy? If you don't run dry, why not? Aside from the heat
beat skipping which is sure to follow the first couple of times, what's
the down side to this strategy?

Lastly, I did cross post this message as I feel it's of value to both
student and general pilot population alike.

Cheers,

Greg



The Ercoupe had it right. Both wing tanks are pumped into the header tank behind the engine in front of the pilot.
Excess fuel is routed back to one of the wing tanks (right side?). Gravity feeds the engine. When all of the fuel is
gone in the wing tanks the header tank bobber starts to go down; leaves something like 5 gallons available and you know
you used up the mains and you have about an hour left...

I've had excellent results with my JPI fuel computer. Unless you are
leaking gas (something the fuel gauge may clue you into) it should work
great. I am able to take trips deep into Mexico that I would not have
felt comfortable doing without the fuel computer. I measure my fuel
before and after every flight. I've never had the computer be off by
more the 0.1 gals.
There is only a universe if you are looking at it. If you are not
looking at it, whether or not there is a universe is undefined.

-Robert