Dear Editor,
While I will agree with Mr. Darby, CEO of LIAT on the lack of navigational aids at Timehri, in particular the lack of an Instrument Landing System(ILS) and Distance Measuring Equipment (DME), he is misinformed re the amount of fuel required to do flights from Barbados.
The normal fuel from Barbados to Guyana with reserves to spend approximately 10-15 minutes at Timehri shooting minimum one instrument approach and then fly to Port of Spain the alternate, with one hour reserve on reaching overhead Port of Spain is 5400LBS of fuel. The maximum fuel load on a Dash-8-300 is 5678LBS. I do not recall ever coming to Guyana with more than 5400LBS unless we had a light passenger load and could fill the tanks to maximum. Therefore how can Mr. Darby say “as a precautionary measure, LIAT planes double their onboard fuel store, in case the plane had to turn back”. They can only take 278LBS extra over the required fuel reserves which is approximately 15 minutes extra flying.
“So this reduces the space for passenger baggage and contributes to our baggage problems,” Darby said. The baggage compartment on the Dash 8 300 holds a maximum of 2500LBS, it takes maximum 50 passengers, therefore normally each passenger can take 50LBS baggage (With effect from 01 December, 2007 the free baggage allowance for all LIAT services will be a maximum of 50 lbs (23 kgs.) per adult or child passenger). – if the fuel load allows!! The regulations state that you must have fuel to do one approach at your destination and be able to fly to your alternate destination and have approximately one hour reserve when you arrive at your alternate destination!!
Let’s work it out. Plane weighs about 26,750LBS prepared for service with crew, plus 5400LBS fuel, plus 50 passengers at about 163LBS each is 8150LBS. Total 40,300LBS.
The Maximum takeoff weight is 41,100LBS. Therefore the plane can only take 800LBS of baggage (Maximum Ramp weight is 41,300Lbs so it could take 1000lbs of baggage). So obviously baggage will be left behind!!
Now we come to the aircraft navigation equipment. Some of the aircraft have Flight Management Systems (FMSs). The FMS usually has two GPSs that work with it in determining the aircraft’s position and speed. The FMS can be used to do RNAV (instrument) approaches, if it is approved by the governing authority. Timehri has RNAV approaches for both ends of its main runway which can bring the aircraft down to close to the ILS minimum descent altitude. As far as I know, not all LIAT’s aircraft have FMSs and further they are not authorised to do RNAV approaches by the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority(ECCAA). So yes Guyana needs to upgrade/replace some of its navigation facilities. LIAT on the other hand can improve its aircrafts’ navigation equipment and get approval from the ECCAA to do RNAV approaches.
Yours faithfully,
Dominic Mendes
