00:00To consume less fuel, pilots need a plane which carries no excess weight.
00:10They therefore precisely calculate the amount of fuel to be taken on board while maintaining
00:15a safety margin.
00:16During taxiing on the runway, only one motor is running.
00:20The second is started just before takeoff.
00:22For takeoff, the pilot optimizes the inclination of the wing flaps to reach a good climbing
00:27gradient without affecting the aerodynamics of the plane, which would consume more fuel.
00:33During the flight, fuel-efficient flying has two objectives.
00:36Firstly, to have the most direct flight path possible, weather and air traffic permitting.
00:42Then to fly at a high altitude, around 10,000 meters, where the air is less dense and provides
00:48less resistance to the plane, which consumes less fuel.
00:52At the end of the flight, the ideal is to descend continuously.
00:56The pilot slows the motors and makes use of the plane's ability to glide, like when
01:01the driver of a car stops using the accelerator while going downhill.
01:05But in reality, most planes must often wait their turn to land and are kept at different
01:10altitudes, which requires more fuel.
01:14During landing, the objective is to open the landing gear and the wing flaps as late as
01:18possible and to use the length of the runway to slow down.
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