Planning a Flight's Fuel

Every flight plan starts with burn rate: how many gallons the aircraft consumes per hour. Multiply by flight time for trip fuel, add reserve for the legal and practical safety margin, and you have the fuel load. This fuel burn rate calculator performs that chain of calculations and checks the result against your tank capacity.

The Reserve Is Non-Negotiable

Regulations require reserve fuel beyond the planned trip — typically enough for an alternate airport plus 30–45 minutes of holding. Modeling it as a percentage of trip fuel (10% is a common planning figure) keeps the math simple while preserving the safety intent. Never plan a trip that consumes your entire capacity.

Fuel Is the Cost of Lift

At typical prices, a 400 gal/hr aircraft burns over $2,200 per hour. That figure drives charter pricing, route economics, and payload decisions. Track burn rate per hour alongside trip cost to keep operating economics visible on every leg.