Two-and-a-half-hour flight
2 h 30 min at 9 US gal/h uses 22.5 US gal. A 45-minute reserve adds 6.8 US gal; with 1.0 US gal for start and taxi, total required fuel is 30.3 US gal.
FLIGHT PLANNING
Fuel burn calculator
Calculate trip, reserve and taxi fuel from your planned flight time and hourly burn rate.
Time & fuel assumptions
Live calculationKeep the burn rate and all fuel quantities in the selected unit.
h
Whole or decimal hours.min
Use 0–59 minutes.US gal/h
Use the planned phase-of-flight average.min
Applied at the entered hourly rate.US gal
Fuel used before the timed flight segment.US gal
Optional; shows surplus or shortfall.Changing the unit does not convert entered values. Do not mix mass and volume. Use aircraft-approved planning data and the reserve rules that apply to your flight.
Your planned fuel.
LIVE RESULTSTotal fuel required30.3 US gal
Trip fuel, entered reserve, and start/taxi allowance combined.
Trip fuel22.5 US gal
Reserve fuel6.8 US gal
Start and taxi1.0 US gal
Endurance after taxi4 h 20 min
9.8 US gal above this plan
THE METHOD
Build the fuel requirement in clear parts.
Trip fuel is planned flight time multiplied by the entered hourly fuel burn. Reserve time is converted to hours and calculated at the same rate. Start and taxi fuel is then added as a fixed allowance.
The formula
Total required = (flight time × burn rate) + (reserve time × burn rate) + taxi fuelResults use full precision and display to one decimal place. The calculator keeps mass and volume separate and does not assume a fuel density.
WORKED EXAMPLES01 02
Fuel planning in practice.
Planning in litres
1 h 20 min at 32 L/h uses 42.7 L. A 30-minute reserve adds 16.0 L; with 3.0 L for start and taxi, total required fuel is 61.7 L.
Fuel burn questions
What time should I enter?+
Use the planned time for the flight segment covered by the burn rate, with any operational contingencies handled according to your approved planning method.
Can the calculator convert gallons to pounds or kilograms?+
No. Fuel density changes with grade and temperature. Keep every quantity in the selected unit and use approved conversion data when a mass-volume conversion is required.
How is reserve fuel calculated?+
Reserve fuel is the entered reserve time multiplied by the same hourly burn rate. Apply the reserve categories and rates required for your operation.
Use approved fuel-planning data.
Actual consumption changes with power, mixture, altitude, weather, routing and aircraft condition. Follow the aircraft handbook, current regulations and your operator’s required reserves.