Readback: December 2022

Editorial Staff

Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 10:16 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

IFR fuel requirements (§91.167) legally apply when "operating in IFR conditions" (IMC), not solely when flying under an IFR flight plan, with "first airport of intended landing" potentially differing from the filed destination.
While strict adherence to IFR fuel reserves is required in IMC, practical realities suggest minor in-flight shortfalls due to unforeseen circumstances may be non-events if handled safely, though declaring minimum fuel or an emergency could invite scrutiny.
Pilots should generally overfly VORs serving as turning points on conventional Obstacle Departure Procedures (ODPs), even if not designated "flyover," due to ATC instructions, the nature of conventional navigation, protected airspace design, and the need for predictable flight paths.

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Got Fuel?

I was recently reviewing the fuel requirements for IFR flight, and I realized that they were not what I was thinking. I thought that §91.167 said we couldn’t begin a flight under an IFR flight plan without enough fuel to reach our filed destination, etc. Instead, it says we can’t operate a flight in IFR conditions without enough fuel to reach the first airport of intended landing, etc.