Houston (May 4, 2010) – Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc. announced that UVflightplanner.com(sm), Universal's RAD-compliant, optimized online flight planning system for business aviation, now performs integrated fuel tankering calculations. This is the first such flight planning system to be able to perform these calculations in conjunction with an aviation contract fuel program.

"UVflightplanner.com users will now have the ability to perform, at no additional cost, automatic fuel tankering calculations with every flight plan they create in the system. This information will empower them to make decisions that will ultimately reduce their costs on fuel purchases," said Randy Stephens, Senior Director, Specialty Products. "With just a few clicks, operators will be able to accurately determine how much fuel can profitably be carried. For example, when fuel prices differ between airports, it might be worth uplifting more fuel where it is less expensive, even when taking into account the cost of extra trip fuel needed to carry the extra weight."

Stephens said this new enhancement is a result of Universal® identifying a need in the industry and developing a value-added solution that would benefit its clients. Many of the stand-alone fuel tankering calculators currently in use in the market rely on the Great Circle distance, which is typically not accurate given the true path an operator flies. UVflightplanner.com's optimized flight planning engine calculates the tankering distance based on the optimized flight path (and taking into account best winds), aircraft performance limitations and other factors. This results in more accurate estimated fuel burns and decreases costs.

"For many operators, trying to calculate fuel tankering strategies can be a tedious, manual process," Stephens explained. "Some operators spend hours using complicated spread sheets or calculators, which make it common for human error to become a factor. UVflightplanner.com's fuel tankering capability removes the manual process and reduces the chance for error. Another benefit of UVflightplanner.com for fuel tankering analysis is that our system has the ability to perform Runway Analysis and Weight & Balance calculations, which is an important step to take before making a decision to carry extra fuel."

Potential Savings
At some locations, operators can save substantially by purchasing jet fuel in locations other than their home base or next destination.

"Consider if you purchase a large amount of fuel at a significantly lower price point than what is available at your home base. I've seen scenarios where an operator might burn an extra 2-3 percent hauling the fuel home, but ended up saving more than 20 percent on the total purchasing cost of the fuel," said Stephens.

Integration with UVair for added Savings
In addition, this is the only fuel tankering tool that integrates with a fuel card program. Universal customers with a UVair® Fueling Card will be able to automatically perform their fuel tankering calculations using their UVair® discounted fuel rates by handling location, which is automatically pulled into the system—making it even easier for operators to find savings. Or, they can perform their calculations using their own manually entered fuel prices.

For more information on UVflightplanner.com and the new fuel tankering enhancement, visit Universal Exhibit #7030 at EBACE 2010, or sign-up for a free 30-day trial at www.uvflightplanner.com.

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Count on Universal® to offer the solutions you need to meet your goals. With more than 50 years of experience in supporting business aviation and over 2.5 million trip legs facilitated, we have the knowledge and expertise to make your trip a success. Our comprehensive resources include customized trip support, convenience through the UVair® Fuel Program, worldwide ground support from Universal Aviation, a range of online trip tools, aircraft data link, aircraft scheduling software, and much more.

CONTACT:
Louis Smyth
N. America: (800) 231-5600 ext. 5713
Worldwide Direct: (713) 947-5713
E-mail: lsmyth@univ-wea.com