For months, make that years, we’ve been telling each other and ourselves that we need RVSM. Today, that is indeed a fact, but only if we plan to fly in RVSM airspace. Some of us have boldly said, “I don’t intend to fly in RVSM airspace. It’s not that big a deal.” We’ve also heard, “I’m a cargo operator and I don’t need to fly up there.” To date, our reasons for RVSM installation were summarized as a need to satisfy regulatory requirements. In the process, we often overlook the true, practical reasons to invest in an effective RVSM solution. We’ll attempt to do that in general terms in this piece.
Regardless of the mode of transportation, if you want to go farther you do one of two things: you get a bigger fuel tank, or you increase your fuel efficiency. Thunder’s Group RVSM solutions allow you to improve your fuel efficiency with a rapid payback on your investment. While we encourage you to do your own math, we’d like to offer you our numbers as a point of comparison, if only to inspire your curiosity if you are one of those operators who doesn’t intend to use RVSM airspace.
Fuel Flow
- RVSM equipped – approximately 2,000 pounds/hour
- Non-RVSM equipped – approximately 2,600 pound/hour
Range
- RVSM equipped Falcon 20F makes it to NYC with required 2,000 pound reserve
- Non-RVSM equipped Falcon 20F can’t make it to NYC with required reserve and has to land and refuel in Washington D.C.
Economy
- RVSM aircraft saves 600 pounds/hour
- RVSM aircraft saves 90 gallons/hour
- RVSM aircraft saves $270/hour
The Bottom Line:
- $175,000 investment paid back in 650 flight hours
- RVSM equipped aircraft avoids congestion at non-RVSM altitudes
- RVSM equipped aircraft avoids weather diversions
- RVSM equipped aircraft benefits from approximately 30 additional minutes flight time and 200NM