I have just seen that a BA flight from London to Miami took a 2 hour detour to use up fuel before heading to its destination. It is not the first time I have heard of this.
Why do planes need to use up/dump the fuel before landing? Surely it’s better to be safe and have more than enough fuel for the entire journey therefore not use up a full tank just before landing?
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Remember momentum from high school physics? That’s why. A heavier plane means it takes more time to stop with the same braking force as a lighter plane. This can be a problem for larger planes which are built to *just* be able to stop in time when at the usual weight for landing (plus a reasonable window of safety). Planes will often take on extra fuel for safety as well in case the destination has them holding for a while. In certain flight conditions the plane may actually burn less fuel and then the pilot is left with a dilemma of what to do with the extra fuel. This is especially a problem for older and shorter runways which have trouble accommodating large planes in conditions that extend the time it takes them to stop.
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