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Point of No Return

The point of no return (PNR) is the furthest point along a flight path from the departure aerodrome where there is still enough fuel to return to the departure aerodrome with the required fuel reserves. The PNR is determined primarily by the amount of available fuel, unlike the equi-time point which is determined solely by flight time. A simple formula can be used to calculate the PNR based on maximum safe endurance, groundspeed out, and groundspeed returning. The PNR will always be at or beyond the equi-time point and depends on the amount of carried fuel, whereas the equi-time point is unaffected by fuel amounts.

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666 views4 pages

Point of No Return

The point of no return (PNR) is the furthest point along a flight path from the departure aerodrome where there is still enough fuel to return to the departure aerodrome with the required fuel reserves. The PNR is determined primarily by the amount of available fuel, unlike the equi-time point which is determined solely by flight time. A simple formula can be used to calculate the PNR based on maximum safe endurance, groundspeed out, and groundspeed returning. The PNR will always be at or beyond the equi-time point and depends on the amount of carried fuel, whereas the equi-time point is unaffected by fuel amounts.

Uploaded by

chhetribharat08
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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 Chapter 13 Point of No Return

GENERAL

The previous chapter discussed the provisions made for the determination of the Critical
Point or Equi-Time Point. However it may also be necessary to establish the point in a flight,
where it would be impossible to return to the aerodrome of departure due to a shortage of
fuel. Such a position is the Point of No Return (PNR) & represents the maximum distance the
aeroplane can travel over a specific route, & then return, and still have a specific, or agreed,
fuel reserve when back over the departure aerodrome.

The point of no return is that point along a track from a departure aerodrome beyond which
there is insufficient flight fuel remaining to return to that aerodrome with all the mandatory
fuel reserves intact.

The point of no return is a totally different concept to the equi-time point. Whereas the ETP is
purely concerned with “time to a landing”, the PNR is determined primarily by the amount of
fuel available.

The determination of the PNR is useful for operational reasons when :

a) The aeroplane is unable to plan to carry enough fuel for a suitable operational
alternate(s) for the planned destination, or that during the actual flight progress such
alternate requirements may no longer be needed.

b) The weather at the planned destination and alternate(s) deteriorates below permitted
landing minima.

In such cases the flight may continue to the PNR and still be operationally capable of
returning to the departure aerodrome.

The PNR should generally be determined for both the normal planned operation as well as
the emergency operation (as with the CP).

Beyond the PNR a flight has insufficient fuel to return and land at the departure
aerodrome with all statutory fuel reserves intact

Flight Planning 13-1


The PNR will generally be a position that is beyond the planned CP (nearer the destination).
If is comes before, or at the same point as the CP, it indicates that the particular flight is being
planned with too little fuel reserves.

At the equi-time point for any given flight there must always be sufficient fuel remaining to
either continue on to the destination, or return to the departure/alternate aerodrome
concerned. We can therefore see that:

The PNR will always lie at or beyond the ETP between two aerodromes

The greater the amount of flight fuel carried by an aero plane, the closer to the planned
destination aerodrome the PNR will be. The position of the ETP, however, is never affected
by changes in the amount of flight fuel.

PNR position depends primarily on the fuel available

Flight Planning 13-2


SIMPLE - PNR

The simple formula for determination of PNR is similar to that for CP, except that flight
endurance replaces the total distance.

Having extracted the total endurance from the fuel flight plan; it is then necessary to establish
a MAXIMUM SAFE ENDURANCE (i.e. total endurance less operational reserve, holding &
departure alternate fuel requirement), in other words just the fuel required for en-route flight;
which is generally given in time (Hrs: min).

Then using the same abbreviations as for the CP formula i.e. :

T = time to PNR
O = G/S OUT (G/S from departure to PNR)
H = G/S Home (G/S from PNR back to departure)
E = Maximum Safe Endurance

The formula is :

Time to PNR = Max Safe Endurance x G/S HOME = T = E x H min.


G/S OUT + G/S HOME O+H

Distance to PNR = Time to PNR x G/S OUT = D = T x O nm.


60

Example

Given Total Distance = 1000 nm.


TAS = 400 Kt.
Wind Component = + 50 Kt. OUT & - 50 Kt. HOME
Maximum Safe Endurance = 2 Hrs. (120 min.)

Then Time to cover total distance = 1000 @ G/S 450 Kt. = 2 Hrs 13 min

Time to PNR = 120 x 350 min = 52.5 min


450 + 350

and
Distance to PNR = 52.5 x 450 nm = 394 nm
60

Proof equals :

Time to PNR (394 nm) = 52.5 min

Time back from PNR = 394 x 60 = 67.5 min


350
Maximum Safe endurance = 120 min

Flight Planning 13-3


Likewise the above calculation may be done on any circular slide rule part of any navigation
computer i.e.

1. Set G/S Out (O) + G/S Home (H) on the OUTER SCALE (800) against G/S Home (H)
on the INNER SCALE (350)

2. Against Max. Safe Endurance (in minutes) on the OUTER SCALE (120) read off time
to PNR or the INNER SCALE (52.5 minutes)

3. The distance to PNR must be calculated separately.

oOo

Flight Planning 13-4

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