Flight operations: general operating rules, equipment, documents, fuel and performance
General operating rules
Flight operations rules require the PIC to ensure the flight can be conducted safely and legally. The aircraft must be equipped for the intended operation and environment, and the required documents must be on board: certificate of registration, airworthiness certificate, crew licences and medicals, maintenance release, operations manual where applicable, weight and balance records, and dangerous goods documentation when relevant. The PIC has final authority for the flight.
Fuel, performance and documents
Fuel planning must cover taxi, trip, forecast winds, alternate where required, holding and the applicable reserve. Performance planning must confirm take-off, climb, landing and obstacle clearance for the actual weight, pressure altitude and temperature. Operators must use approved performance data and loading limits; a “rule of thumb” is not a substitute.
Worked example
A VFR flight plans a 2.0-hour trip, 10 minutes taxi, and a 30-minute reserve. At 40 US gallons per hour, required fuel is (2.0 + 0.17 + 0.5) × 40 ≈ 107 US gallons. If usable fuel is 100 gallons, the flight cannot legally depart as planned; the pilot must reduce payload, add fuel, or change the plan.
Traps
Do not count reserve fuel as trip fuel. Do not use still-air figures when strong winds are forecast. Do not assume the presence of documents proves validity-check dates, ratings and maintenance status.