Fuel Burn Calculator

Summary

Enter distance, airspeed, and fuel flow rate to calculate aircraft fuel burn, flight time, and total fuel cost.

How it works

1. Enter the total distance for your flight in nautical miles or statute miles.
2. Enter your aircraft's true airspeed (TAS) and fuel flow rate from your Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH).
3. Optionally enter a fuel reserve requirement in minutes (45 min is common for VFR day flight).
4. Enter the current fuel price per gallon (or per liter if you select metric units).
5. The calculator computes flight time, trip fuel, reserve fuel, total fuel required, and estimated cost.
6. Compare results against your aircraft's usable fuel capacity to confirm you have adequate range.

Use cases

• Estimate fuel cost before booking a cross-country VFR flight.
• Verify fuel load is sufficient for the route plus required reserves.
• Compare fuel burn across different cruising speeds for the same route.
• Plan fuel stops for long cross-country flights in light piston aircraft.
• Quickly calculate flight time from distance and airspeed during preflight planning.
• Budget fuel costs for flight training hours or rental aircraft.
• Cross-check fuel burn against the POH range chart for a given power setting.
• Teach student pilots the relationship between airspeed, distance, and fuel consumption.

Frequently Asked Questions