1. Do not accept “Flight Plan Fuel Load”.

 OK. Here’s my challenge.  How to ‘splain this slightly complex factor in a simple, entertaining, accurate fashion.
Well, here goes.   
In Military Airlift Command (MAC) circa 1966 the C-130 navigator,aka, Moi was responsible for fuel management.  There was a maximum allowable gross weight for the aircraft to make a safe takeoff and climb. That weight included the aircraft, the cargo and fuel.  Ergo. Every pound of fuel you carried was one less pound of cargo you could carry. 

Sooo. On a heavily loaded C-130 scheduled for an 8-9 hour flight from Charleston to Elmendorf, Alaska, the system ( big shots) wanted us not to exceed the Flight Plan Fuel Load  

. (FPFL),we loved our acronyms,  consisted of fuel to cover the estimated time enroute ( ETE)  plus some time for holding at destination and time to get to a close-by alternate field.  Estimated Time Enroute was based on  the forecasted winds at altitude ( a freakin guess). Aye, there’s the rub. 

So, we take off with FPFL and head for Alaska.  The first several hours of flight were kinda boring, which is good.

 Somewhere in mid to northern Canada ( tundra wasteland) we heard a radio alert.  “ Guys, the entire peninsula of Alaska is down for dense fog. Zero visibility.”   Say wha??  BTW the actual winds at altitude were about 100 knots stronger than forecast and right on our nose   So we were way behind our original ETA for Alaska.    Command asked”. Can you make it to McChord AFB near Seattle?   No longer boring for moi , the navigator.  I gave the pilot a heading for McChord, but told him if the winds didn’t subside, we couldn’t make it that far.  Start looking for someplace to land this freakin aircraft and try to preserve fuel. 

God is good. 
Our crew saw a Canadian Base called Comox, British Columbia.   We declared a fuel emergency and were cleared to land at Comox. As we taxied to parking and fuel, engines number two and three stopped running. They were outta gas.  Close shave.  I survived.  For future missions I 
Always added a few thousand pounds of fuel over FPFL for the wife and kids. Screw the cargo and the bureaucrats that weren’t on the aircraft with us. 
Hope that made sense.  More later. 
Come join the Blog.  Cheers Don