VIRFuel is a fuel and weight calculation application designed for Boeing 747 / Airbus A340 operators using the Flywise flight plan. The application is in metric tonnes and conforms to SOPs used for Virgin Atlantic operations.
Fuel and weight data is inserted from the front page of the flight plan (the 'plan figures') and can then be updated with desired loads and actual figures from the final ZFW/loadsheet. Changes in zero-fuel weight calculate updates to trip fuel and suggest a new ramp fuel. Alternatively a manually entered ramp fuel or required extra fuel at destination will calculate updates to trip fuel and ramp fuel.
At each stage a take-off weight will be updated and TODC information calculated (a buffer of 1T is used). Fuel uplift calculations in Litres and USG are available to ensure an indicated versus calculated fuel load within +1.5%. Finally, flight plan waypoint fuel checks can be updated for changes in trip fuel burn.
Multiple waypoints can be input in lat/lon or selected from a list of North Atlantic entry points. With the addition of spot groundspeeds at each waypoint the true track, distance and time estimates for each waypoint are displayed (consistent with the flight plan format) to cross check oceanic routing or to cross check re-route legs. (Distances, although rounded to the nearest NM are calculated over the earth ellipsoid to metre level accuracy in the given direction at zero height.)
Internal cross-checking is performed and aircraft type limits can be set using the application settings menu or from the plan input page. Engineers have the option to skip directly to the fuel uplift page. A 'swipe-to-reveal' calculator has time addition and unit conversion functions.