UAM.OP.VCA.195 Fuel/energy scheme – in-flight fuel/energy management

IN-FLIGHT FUEL/ENERGY CHECKS

(a)The operator’s policy and procedures should ensure that the PIC monitors in-flight the remaining amount of usable fuel/energy and compares it with a conservative estimate of the fuel/energy necessary to proceed to the destination vertiport or the VEMS operating site where a safe landing can be performed, either through dynamic checks or checks at regular intervals of the fuel/energy measuring and displaying equipment.

(b)If conservative estimations of the fuel/energy necessary to complete the remaining part of the flight are not provided by the fuel/energy measuring and displaying equipment in-flight, the operator’s policy and procedures should ensure that the following conservative estimations are made during the pre-flight fuel/energy planning for specified check points along the planned route:

(1)amount of fuel/energy necessary to complete the remaining portion of the flight to the destination vertiport or the VEMS operating site; and

(2)amount of fuel/energy necessary to reach a vertiport or a diversion location along the route. The specified check points should be regularly distributed along the planned route to allow for the safe management of the fuel/energy in-flight. The PIC should monitor in-flight the indications of the fuel/energy measuring and displaying equipment to establish the remaining usable amount of fuel/energy as the VCA proceeds towards the destination vertiport or the VEMS operating site and, at the specified check points, compare this amount with the conservative estimations for those check points made during the pre-flight fuel/energy planning.

(c)The relevant fuel/energy data and estimations should be recorded by the operator’s safety management system and retained for 5 years to be used as a follow-up to incidents and other technical reports and to identify and make adjustments to the fuel/energy system performance.

ENSURING A SAFE LANDING If an in-flight fuel/energy check performed in accordance with AMC1 UAM.OP.VCA.195 shows that the remaining amount of usable fuel/energy is less than the conservative estimation of the fuel/energy necessary to complete the flight to the destination vertiport or the VEMS operating site, plus the final fuel/energy reserve, the PIC should:

(a)divert to a vertiport or a diversion location along the route selected in accordance with the individual fuel/energy scheme; or

(b)replan the flight in accordance with point (d) of point UAM.OP.VCA.191.

DECLARING ‘MINIMUM FUEL’

(a)The ‘MINIMUM FUEL’ declaration informs the appropriate ATC unit that any change to the existing clearance, or air traffic delays, may result in landing with less final fuel/energy reserve. This is not an emergency situation, but an indication that an emergency situation is possible should any additional delay occur.

(b)Guidance on declaring ‘MINIMUM FUEL’ is contained in ICAO Doc 9976 ‘Flight Planning and Fuel Management (FPFM) Manual’.

BROADCASTING ‘MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY FUEL’ The ‘MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY FUEL’ declaration informs the ATC that the amount of final fuel/energy reserve may be consumed prior to landing. The standard phraseology ‘MAYDAY FUEL’ describes the nature of the distress conditions as required in ICAO Annex 10 ‘Aeronautical Telecommunications’ Volume II.