I use SimBrief to set up and plan my flights and then import these plans into Navigraph Charts to finalize SIDs; STARs; and ILS approaches.
Finally, I export these flight plans and then load them into MSFS via the World Map pages and fine tune the plan in the FMS so I have a workable plan to follow and can takeoff, cruise and safely land. I am currently flying the Citation Longitude.
I realize that the above is NOT an FAA-approved workflow, but it works for me and I am getting by.
I usually enter the Block Fuel value for takeoff as calculated by SimBrief and note the Fuel Burn for the flight. I don’t mess with the Block Fuel value much because I can’t find specifics anywhere that define how much extra fuel to load out to avoid arriving at my destination on fumes–as I currently do now.
It is quite obvious to me that I’m missing something (winds aloft, comes to mind) and I need to find out where to learn about solving my dilemma.
Any advice or reading assignments gladly accepted.
If you use the mintof you should be clearly able to reach the destination because Simbrief is calculating the alternate fuel as well. If you not come by with the mintof there is something terrible wrong with the Simbrief profile and the underlying fuelflow
If you find that you’re using more fuel than expected you can always increase your fuel factor in Simbrief to have it plan more fuel for you, but it seems odd that you’d be arriving at your destination with barely any fuel at all, considering Simbrief calculates fuel for your alternate as well as reserve fuel. Have you made sure you’re using the same units in Simbrief as you are in the sim?
When you say you enter the Block Fuel value for takeoff, do you mean in the FMS or in the Weight and Balance?
I personally use a P02 fuel modifier in Simbrief for the current Longitude. That reliably puts me within about 300 lbs of planned landing fuel on arrival.
I don’t start Cold and Dark (hate taxiing) so I always start on the runway. So, yes, I enter the Block Fuel value (LBS) into the Weight and Balance. Not knowing any better, I’ve always done that.
I can and will try a P02 fuel modifier, but how did you arrive at that? How is the “planned landing fuel” value determined? Is it specified somewhere on the SimBrief Flight Briefing page?
I’d assumed that SimBrief is calculating fuel for the flight and the alternate. And I don’t mean to imply that I’m nearly empty on every flight; I’ve just noticed that sometimes I’m left with less than 2,000 lbs and that seems low. Given my inexperience as a non-pilot, I may be misunderstanding how much fuel should be in my reserve.
Yes, thank you! I felt it had to do with “how I fly the plane”, but wasn’t sure. I sometimes ask ATC for higher altitudes at cruise and that can gobble fuel.
Agreed, 2,000 lbs is not “landing on fumes”–poor choice of words on my part.
However, if you look at the post above yours, he had 2,600 lbs to reach an alternate one hour away. This bird consumes nearly 1,000 PPH in cruise, so a TOGA and “issues” could conceivably leave one with a low level of fuel–one shot to make good.
Anyway, IT IS A SIMULATOR and one can always sneak into the menus on top and add some extra fuel.
Thank you all for your assistance.
BTW, the Longitude is quite the hot rod–adequate power and then some; agility of a turbo prop; nice, straight forward Garmin FMS; and the range of an Airbus 32X.
Well, depending on how the weather is your alternate may very well be a lot closer than an hour away, and thus you’d need less fuel.
Anyway, the FAA requires an IFR flight to have enough fuel to get to your main airport, including a descent and approach, go around, back up to cruise, go to your alternate, and land there, as well as having 45 minutes worth of holding fuel. And as far as I know, the fuel numbers Simbrief gives you complies with those requirments.
My point is that 2600 lbs was the calculated landing fuel which had a distant alternate (1 hour to alternate is rare) due to it being in the middle of a blizzard and had to really reach to find an alternate.
Typical alternates are token alternates (weather is good, but you require an alternate, so you file the airport 10 minutes away). That time I was at 2600 lbs I had a distant alternate because of a large storm system.
Far more typical for me is in the <2000 lb range (1600 seems to be pretty common)
