Flight Planning and Flight Monitoring
Flight Planning and Flight Monitoring tests fuel policy, route selection, navigation logs, alternate planning, in-flight monitoring and re-planning. The exam expects calculation of fuel, time, groundspeed and reserves, plus recognition of when the plan is no longer valid.
Core rules
- Fuel plan: taxi + trip + contingency + alternate + final reserve + extra.
- Contingency is typically a percentage of trip fuel; final reserve is time-based and is not a contingency substitute.
- An alternate is required when destination weather or operational conditions demand it.
- Monitor actual fuel flow, groundspeed and ETA against plan; declare minimum fuel or MAYDAY FUEL when appropriate.
- Use charted routes, levels and Norwegian airspace restrictions.
Worked example
Trip fuel 300 kg; contingency 5% = 15 kg; alternate 100 kg; final reserve 30 min at 600 kg/h = 300 kg; taxi 20 kg. Total = 300 + 15 + 100 + 300 + 20 = 735 kg. If actual trip fuel rises by 10%, add 30 kg and reassess alternate and reserve.
Traps
- Counting final reserve as part of contingency.
- Forgetting taxi fuel or weather extra.
- Using still-air time with forecast wind.
- Delaying a fuel decision until reserve is already breached.