EMB ERJ 145 ER/LR
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue
General None Reported / Taken
Company Policy; Manuals
The Dispatch release for ORD-ZZZ is flawed. It plans still being at cruise altitude at Shelbyville which requires a crossing at 14;000 feet. We then cross Cegrm at 11;000 feet. I knew it was tight on gas and the Dispatcher didn't give us any add or fuel to play with; so I flew powered back and as fuel conscious as I could. I also knew I could stop in Indianapolis or Dayton if there was any hiccup and we were severe VFR; so the decision was made to go with dispatched fuel. Upon closer inspection my release thought I needed only 1301 for reserve. There is no way the EMB can fly for 45 minutes at low altitudes and burn only 1301 pounds of fuel. Contrast that to our enroute burn which was supposed to be 1764 for 42 minutes. How can enroute burn at FL230 for 42 minutes be 1764 and reserve be 1301? My planned arrival fuel was supposed to have been 2064 and it was just under 1800 even with me climbing steeper; flying slower and using as little as possible with a tailwind. I should also mention we got straight out of ORD with no delays and minimal ground fuel burn so we took off with a few hundred extra than minimum takeoff fuel. All in all; release fuel from ORD to ZZZ should be several hundred pounds more for safe operation.Dispatch should revise this release to include crossing Shelbyville at 14;000 feet plus a realistic amount for required reserve fuel. In addition they should always give an additional 500 pounds at minimum to cover contingencies due to variations in flight.
An ERJ 145 Captain addressed flaws in the manner by which his airline computes required fuel for legs from ORD to ZZZ.