Air Mobility Command Public Affairs (Nov. 9, 2006): AMC reduces costs through fuel efficiency.

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Energy costs are a significant part of the Defense Department operating budget, and Air Mobility Command uses 54 percent of the U.S. military's consumption of aviation fuel.

Not surprisingly, efficient use of this resource has always been an AMC goal, and while fuel costs remain high, command officials are exploring new ways of wrestling maximum value from every tax dollar without undermining operational effectiveness.

"[Aviation fuel efficiency] is not a new AMC initiative, but through the use of new technology, the introduction of improved software and changes in procedures we're able to continually refine the processes that support the flying mission," said Royal Air Force Wing Commander Martin Walsh, deputy chief of the AMC Standardization and Evaluation Division.

"One significant aspect of the initiative involves moving training out of the aircraft and into the simulator, which saves money, fuel, and wear and tear on AMC aircraft," said Walsh.

Over the last decade, AMC has invested $1.4 billion to purchase additional simulators and upgrade existing ones. By training in simulators instead of aircraft, AMC estimates aircraft flight hours will be reduced by more than 270,000 hours over the next 6.5 years. This will inevitably save $2.3 billion in aircraft fuel, airframe use, wear and tear, and aircraft maintenance.

"Simulators more than pay for themselves by helping to reduce operating costs," said Air Force Lt. Col. Stephen Collins, chief, Combat Airlift Branch, AMC Standardization and Evaluation.

Modern simulators are equipped with enhanced visual systems that are so realistic that challenging tactical maneuvers can be practiced safely and effectively. Other refinements allow simulators on different Air Force bases to be connected and "fly" together on the same mission, rehearsing complex wartime activities and subsequently debriefing the lessons learned both safely and cost effectively.

In search of ways to help improve AMC's efficient use of fuel, representatives of the command visited American Airlines to observe the best practices adopted by the commercial aviation industry. As a result, AMC is placing an even greater emphasis on monitoring aircraft fuel usage.

By using the on-board Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting Systems (ACARS), a satellite will automatically feed back information from mobility aircraft anywhere in the world to the Tanker Airlift Control Center (TACC) at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., said Air Force Lt. Col. Mark Krusac, AMC's flight manager evaluator. "With this data, the flight managers will be able to refine mission flight plans and better match the fuel carried to the specific needs of the mission."

"We are trying to look at the feedback loop between flight plans that the flight manager produces and what actually takes place on the airplane when the mission is flown. ACARS automatically reports the fuel status so we can compare the actual fuel consumption with the fuel plan anticipated by the flight manager prior to the mission," said Collins.

"The beauty of ACARS is that it's automatic. The crew can operate the aircraft and continue their in-flight routines as if ACARS wasn't there. AMC can then verify the flight plan, identify any inefficiencies, and make corrections to the computer model so that the aircrew always has the most accurate product possible," said Walsh.

AMC's ultimate objective is to have the TACC produce flight plans that accurately cater to all variables, said Walsh. Additionally, this will help the aircrew have total confidence every time they fly.

Another aspect of the fuel efficiency initiative included a review of maximum landing weight for the KC-135 Stratotanker.

"For the first 50 years of its life, the KC-135's maximum authorized landing weight was 200,000 pounds. After a thorough structural analysis, it was determined that the KC-135 could easily cope with landing at 220,000 pounds," said Walsh.

"Now tankers finding themselves with more fuel on board than planned before the mission--possibly because the receivers did not require the planned fuel--can land at the new maximum weight instead of flying for several hours burning fuel unnecessarily," said Collins.

Another activity yielding terrific savings requires the TACC to work closely with the airspace authorities of foreign countries to identify shorter routes over their countries. Negotiations of this magnitude are sometimes delicate, yet it yields a times savings of eight to 30 minutes per trip.

"These soon add up, and last year shorter routes helped AMC save $46 million in aircraft utilization costs, including fuel," said Air Force Lt. Col. Jim Rubush, chief of the TACC Diplomatic Clearance Shop.

"People think that saving $200 on one mission will not make that big of a difference, but if we do this for every AMC mission there is a potential savings of $28 million a year in fuel costs alone, and that's a very significant figure," said Krusac.

"AMC's global mission is crucial to supporting the warfighter, but this activity does not come for free. Aviation fuel efficiency is a mindset that has always been and will continue to be a part of AMC's culture; every member of the command has a part to play. With everybody thinking fuel efficiency, AMC will continue to be the most fuel efficient major command in the Air Force," said Walsh.