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Delta 275 Anchorage unplanned stops?

On the web-based delta flight tracker, this morning DL 275 (DTW-NRT) was reported to have diverted to Anchorage (ANC). The flight scheduled for this afternoon also had Anchorage listed as the initial destination. Are the diversions due to the ongoing heat wave, which means less lift at takeoff thereby limiting fuel load that can be carried upon takeoff at DTW, or something else?

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  • 9 years ago
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    In flight planning as well as actual operations, flights are sometimes forced to operate with an intermediate stop, this due to (1) high payloads (2) high temperatures (3) winds aloft in cruise or (4) fuel reserves requirements at destination -

    What is your "less lift at takeoff"...? - That is non-aviation jibberish...! - An airplane can be "limited" for takeoff weight by runway length or performance on takeoff and temperature is just one of the factors...

    An airline can also operate a flight with a refile (redispatch) which is a concept you will probably not understand, using ANC as initial enroute filing for destination, then if fuel is sufficient, change destination enroute to NRT - This permits to operate flights with less fuel (weight) and extra payload and also (if applicable) operate a flight with less fuel reserves to the actual destination -

    Airplanes flying internationally fly with sufficient fuel (a) to destination (b) plus fuel for missed approach, and to most distant alternate (c) plus 30 minutes reserve holding 1,500 ft over destination (d) plus a 10% time reserve for the cruise flight, a flight 12 hrs long (720 minutes) requires a 10% fuel time reserve (72 minutes) at the fuel flow it would have at destination -

    See 14 CFR 121.645

    What is the purpose of the "web based flight tracker" anyway disclosing flight plans...? - Is it that people second-guess the flight planning of pilot and dispatchers of airlines - Would it be a problem just answer and inform the public "flight landing at ANC due to fuel requirements" - Period... or do you need to know and discuss my engine fuel flow and N1 RPM...?

    .

    Source(s): Retired pilot
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