B747-200 CAPT IS CHALLENGED ON HIS REQUEST TO ADD FUEL. CAPT FEELS THAT THE FUEL IS NECESSARY TO AVOID UNCOVERING FUEL PUMPS DURING CLIMB.

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UPON ARR I CALLED DISPATCH TO SEE WHAT THE FUEL LOAD THAT WAS PLANNED FOR FLT TO ORD. I WAS TOLD IT WAS 75000 LBS AND I ASKED FOR IT TO BE UPPED TO 90000 LBS. I WAS CHALLENGED BY THE DISPATCHER AS TO WHY AND SAID I WILL NOT FLY WITH LESS BECAUSE THE FORWARD FUEL PUMPS IN TANKS #1 AND #4 BECOME UNCOVERED WHEN FLYING WITH LIGHT LOADS DUE TO THE ACCELERATION AND DECK ANGLE NEEDED TO MAINTAIN V2+10 ON INITIAL CLBOUT. 1 HR PRIOR TO DEP I PICKED UP THE PAPERWORK AND THE FUEL LOAD WAS STILL 75000 LBS. I CALLED BACK TO DISPATCH AND WAS TOLD TO TALK TO SYS OPS. I DID AND WAS INFORMED THAT COMPANY HAD DETERMINED THAT 75000 LBS WAS THE FUEL LOAD FOR THAT FLT (ZZZ-ORD) AND 3 OTHER SCHEDULED FLTS. I TOLD SYS OPS THAT THE FORWARD FUEL PUMPS STILL BECAME UNCOVERED AT THAT FUEL LOAD; LIGHT PAYLOADS. I WAS TOLD THAT THE DISPATCHER HAD COME UP WITH THAT NUMBER. I THEN TOLD THEM I HAD BEEN IN DISCUSSION WITH HIM ABOUT THIS AND SAID THAT WHEN I COULD SEE DOCUMENTATION THAT SAYS THE FUEL PUMPS CAN BE RUN FOR LONGER THAN MOMENTARILY UNCOVERED I WOULD DO IT; SO SYS OPS SAID THEY WOULD AUTH THE FUEL LOAD TO 90000 LBS. THE ONLY DOCUMENTATION THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME TO DATE PERTAINED TO THE B747-400 WITH BAFFLED FUEL TANKS; THE B747-100/200 DOES NOT AND A BOEING OPS MANUAL BULLETIN FROM 1980 THAT BASICALLY TELLS YOU TO HAVE ENOUGH FUEL FOR THE FLT PLUS RESERVES; AVOID RAPID ACCELERATION; REDUCE PITCH ANGLES TO KEEP THE FORWARD PUMPS COVERED. NO TIME LENGTH IS MENTIONED. I HAVE SEEN PUMPS BE UNCOVERED THROUGH 10000 FT DEPENDING ON THE CLRNC GIVEN AND NOT RECOVERED UNTIL THE ACFT HAS ACCELERATED THROUGH 250 KTS. I HAVE FLOWN 27 OF THESE FLTS IN THE LAST 60 DAYS AND ON EVERY FLT THAT I REQUESTED ADDITIONAL FUEL I HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED ABOUT MY REQUEST AND REPEATEDLY TOLD THAT IT IS COMPANY POLICY THAT 75000 LBS IS ALL THE FUEL THAT THESE FLTS GET. I HAVE FLOWN THESE FLTS WITH VARYING FUEL LOADS FROM 75000 LBS ON UP AND THE MINIMUM LOAD THAT DOES NOT UNCOVER THE FORWARD FUEL PUMPS DURING ALL ASPECTS OF THE FLT IS 90000 LBS. MEL 28-1 FOR AN AFT FUEL PUMP IN TANKS #1 AND #4 IS INOP REQUIRES A MINIMUM FUEL LOAD IN THAT TANKS TO PREVENT THE FORWARD PUMP FROM BEING UNCOVERED IS 24254 LBS; BAL THAT ACROSS THE ACFT BY 4 AND IT IS 97016 LBS SO A COMPROMISE I FEEL IS 90000 LBS. THE OTHER REASON THE COMPANY GIVES ME THE COST OF CARRYING THE EXTRA 15000 LBS OF FUEL. ON THE LAST 27 FLTS I HAVE ONLY BLOCKED IN 5 TIMES BELOW THE FLT PLANNED BLOCK IN FUEL AND THAT WAS DUE TO VECTORING BY ATC OR EXTENDED TAXIING. ON ALL OF THESE FLTS I WAS ABOVE THE PLANNED BURN AT TOP OF DSCNT PER THE FLT PLAN SO THAT ARGUMENT IS INVALID ON THESE SHORT FLTS. THE MAIN QUESTION IS DO I AS CAPT HAVE FINAL AUTH ON WHAT I DEEM IS A MINIMUM SAFE FUEL LOAD FOR THE FLT OR DO I NOT. REGARDLESS OF THE PRESENT PERCEPTION THAT I; DISPATCH; AND SYS OPS HAVE JOINT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FLT; I AND MY CREW ALONE HAVE THE SOLE MORTALITY ON THAT FLT; THAT IN MY OPINION; OUTWEIGHS EVERYTHING ELSE.