If the flight is longer than an hour, we will then run the tips in 15
minute
increments. (Or 10, or 20 -- whatever it takes to keep them even when we
arrive at our destination.) In our plane, having 17 gallons WAY out at
the
end of the wing means that you had better keep things balanced, or you're
gonna be flying tipped at an angle pretty quickly!

If I understand what you're saying, you always take off with the tips
filled, even for a short flight. If that's the case, aren't you hauling
200 lbs of fuel around all the time that you don't really need?

Yep. But the extra wing loading (by having the tips full) really, REALLY
makes a difference in turbulence. We have flown places with other pilots
who bitterly complained about the moderate chop en route, which we had not
noticed at all.

Also, in a plane like the Pathfinder, with a 1460 pound useful load, there
is no advantage gained by going light on fuel. (Well, other than rate of
climb, which -- in Iowa -- is pretty much a non-issue. There is no such
thing as having to "out-climb" the terrain around here, and we routinely see
700 fpm climb in summer even with full tanks) Therefore, we top 'er off
after every flight -- even when we have only flown for an hour or two.

If your
mains give you (I'm guessing here) 4 hours endurance, and you're planning
a
1 hour flight, I would think having 3 hour reserve would be more than
enough for even the most conservative pilot.

We are VERY conservative with fuel management.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"