EA50 PILOT DECLARES MIN FUEL AFTER WX DIVERSION AND APPROACH DELAYS.

Narrative

THE WX AT ZZZ DETERIORATED TO THE POINT WHERE A DEV WAS NECESSARY. SINCE AN ARPT WITH CUSTOMS WAS REQUIRED; I CHOSE ZZZ1. I HAD PLENTY OF FUEL TO REACH ZZZ1; BUT BECAUSE I COULD NOT CLB VERY HIGH DUE TO ATC; MY FUEL BURN WAS HIGHER THAN EXPECTED. I MENTIONED TO ZZZ1 APCH THAT FUEL WAS A CONCERN AND I'D LIKE TO LAND ASAP. HE TOLD ME I WAS 12TH IN LINE FOR FINAL. I SAID THAT WILL NOT WORK FOR ME. HE SAID 'ARE YOU DECLARING AN EMER?' I SAID 'NO; BUT IF YOU FLY ME 1/2 WAY ACROSS THE LAKE; I'LL HAVE ONE.' HE OPENED A POS ABOUT 4 MI OUT ON FINAL; AND AT THAT POINT I DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO GET THE AIRPLANE ON THE GND. SO I DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL AND TOLD HIM I WANTED TO LAND NOW; I BELIEVE I COMPLIED WITH HIS REQUEST TO SAY THE WORD 'EMER;' TO EXPEDITE. HE TURNED ME INBOUND AND OVER TO TWR. TWR SAID; 'CLRED TO LAND AND THE TRUCKS ARE ROLLING.' I SUGGESTED THAT ROLLING THE TRUCKS WAS RIDICULOUS; AS THERE WAS NO EMER. HE SAID THAT JUST WHAT WE DO WHEN AN EMER IS DECLARED. I STILL THINK IT WAS A RIDICULOUS WASTE OF MANPOWER; AS THERE WAS NO ISSUE. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AND TAXI TO CUSTOMS ENSUED. I STILL HAD 250 LBS OF FUEL ON BOARD; BUT WE ECLIPSE PLTS LIKE TO BE ON THE GND WITH 300 LBS; FOR MORE SAFETY; EVEN THOUGH 250 LBS IS ADEQUATE. I MADE THE PROPER CALL; GIVEN HAD I FLOWN ANOTHER 10 MI; I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN DIRE CONSEQUENCES HAD I NEEDED TO GO AROUND FROM MY ORIGINAL APCH TO LNDG; NOT TO MENTION ONE 10-15 MINS LATER. THE TWR CONTENDS; PER FAA; AFTER I SPOKE WITH FAA; I SHOULD HAVE DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL MUCH SOONER. I SAY; GIVEN MIDDLE OF THE DAY; VFR; HOW WOULD ONE HAVE GUESSED THERE WOULD BE A 25 MI FINAL? NEXT TIME; I WOULD HAVE LANDED AT ANOTHER ARPT; FUELED THE AIRPLANE; AND DEALT WITH WHATEVER ISSUES CUSTOMS WOULD HAVE HAD WITH THAT DECISION. IN MY VIEW; FAR FEWER HEADACHES; AS ZZZ1 MADE A MOUNTAIN OUT OF A MOLEHILL. THE ZZZ1 FSDO WAS VERY HELPFUL AND CONCURRED WITH MY DECISION MAKING. THEY DID SUGGEST; HOWEVER; AN EARLIER DECLARATION OF MINIMUM FUEL WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE APPROPRIATE TO GIVE ATC MORE HEADS UP.