Skip to main content
Calcimator

Fuel Planning Calculator

Plan fuel requirements for a flight including trip, contingency, alternate, and reserve fuel. Verify legal fuel minimums per FAR 91.151/91.167.

Inputs

NM
kt

Light aircraft: 90–160 kt

gal/hr

C172: 8–10 gal/hr, C182: 12–14 gal/hr

gal
min

FAR 91: 30 min VFR day, 45 min VFR night/IFR

Results

Total Fuel Required

33.9 gal

≈ 7 buckets

Fuel Adequate?

Yes

Trip Fuel25.3 gal
Reserve Fuel7.5 gal
Extra Fuel Available14.1 gal
Extra Endurance85 min
Total Endurance4.65 hr
Cruise Time125 min
Estimated Fuel Cost$220.19
Point of No Return234 NM
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter the total trip distance and expected ground speed.
  2. Enter your aircraft's fuel burn rate from the POH.
  3. Enter how much fuel you'll have on board.
  4. Adjust reserve time for VFR day (30 min) or VFR night/IFR (45 min).
  5. Verify the result says 'Fuel Adequate' before departure.

How the result changes with Fuel Burn Rate

Fuel Burn RateTotal Fuel RequiredFuel Adequate?
1016.5 galYes
1051.2 galNo
1055.8 galNo

What each input means

Trip Distance
Total distance to destination in nautical miles.
Expected Ground Speed
Planned ground speed (TAS adjusted for wind). Use the Wind Triangle calculator.
Fuel Burn Rate
Cruise fuel consumption from POH at planned altitude and power setting.
Fuel on Board
Total usable fuel you plan to depart with.
Taxi Fuel
Fuel for engine start, taxi, and runup. Typically 1–2 gal for light aircraft.
Climb Fuel
Extra fuel consumed during climb above cruise rate. From POH climb performance.
Contingency
Percentage of cruise fuel for contingency. ICAO standard is 5%.
Distance to Alternate
Distance from destination to alternate airport. Required for IFR; optional for VFR.
Reserve Time
Legal fuel reserve. VFR day: 30 min, VFR night/IFR: 45 min.
Fuel Price
Price per gallon of avgas or Jet-A for cost estimate.

What each result means

Total Fuel Required
Minimum fuel needed including all reserves.
Point of No Return
Maximum distance you can fly and still return to departure with reserves.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Cruise Time
    Cruise Time = Distance ÷ Ground Speed
    250 NM ÷ 120 kt = 125 min (2.08 hr)
  2. Trip Fuel
    Trip = Taxi + Climb + (Cruise Time × Burn Rate)
    1.5 + 3 + (2.08 × 10) = 25.3 gal
  3. Contingency Fuel
    Contingency = Cruise Fuel × 5%
    20.8 × 5% = 1.0 gal
  4. Reserve Fuel
    Reserve = (Reserve Minutes ÷ 60) × Burn Rate
    (45 ÷ 60) × 10 = 7.5 gal
  5. Total Fuel Required
    Total = Trip + Contingency + Alternate + Reserve
    25.3 + 1.0 + 0.0 + 7.5 = 33.9 gal

Related Calculators

The questions that sit next to this one — chosen by subject, including calculators filed under a different category.

Aviation & Pilot Tools

Weight & Balance Calculator

Compute aircraft weight and CG for safe loading.

Aviation & Pilot Tools

Wind Triangle (E6B) Calculator

Calculate heading, WCA, and ground speed from wind.

Aviation & Pilot Tools

Oxygen Duration Calculator

Estimate supplemental oxygen endurance.

Flight Planning

IFR Fuel Planning Calculator

Fuel requirements with alternate airport and reserve calculations per FAR 91.167.

More in Aviation, Marine & Transport.