HI Bob,Rich ladies and gentleman,

I am safe to think that when casa talks about holding fuel in the irex exam questions (eg 30 .mins) holding fuel is calculated at a reduce fuel burn rate? and I know you don't add variable reserve to holding fuel because its not flight fuel, There is no mention if the flight is private or charter. Therefore it should not be use to proceed to an alternate for a number of reasons .Just want to confirm because if the flight was private and the holding rate is the same as cruise rate legally i could fly to the alternate? ..But in the caaps it is not recommend as is really doesn't meet the term sufficient fuel but i am correct in saying the caaps are not legally binding but go a long way of keeping you out of jail if anything ever happen if you follow them . Casa have a question on the website..
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An aerodrome within a primary CTR has operational requirements for 30 minutes weather holding and 30 minutes traffic holding. You are overhead the aerodrome for landing, with 30 minutes holding fuel in addition to fixed reserve. The nearest suitable alternate (which does not require any holding) is 30 minutes away. ATC advises you that an approach to the aerodrome is currently not available for the next 30 minutes due to traffic. What action should you take?

I believe the correct thing to do would be to declare an emergency for a priority landing as declaring minimum fuel does not give the aircraft any priority and the time you would land you would be burning your fix reserve..Wondering what people's thoughts are??

Any questions on fuel planning in the CASA IREX exam will be based on calculations in minutes only. Therefore, different power settings for cruise and holding etc are irrelevant, you simply work in minutes. So if the time interval from departure to destination is 78 minutes and you need 45 minutes holding then a PVT or AWK flight would require 78 + 45 minutes of fuel, that is, 123 minutes. The examiner will always tell you if it is a charter flight. In that case the example above would need 78 x 1.15 + 45 = 135 minutes. The power settings you may have used will affect the actual number of litres of fuel you require, but the number of minutes will still be the same whatever power settings you choose. If holding is involved, then you simply add the holding in minutes to the total.

You are correct in assuming that in the scenario you quote above, the only option the pilot has is to declare an emergency. The exam stipulates that you will be operating according to the CAAP advice on fuel policy. That is, 45 minutes fixed reserve and 15% variable reserve if it is a charter flight.

Bob