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Aircraft Fuel Burn Rate Calculator

Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham. FAA fuel reserve requirements per 14 CFR 91.151 and 91.167. Last verified 14 June 2026.

Accurate fuel planning is a critical pilot responsibility. Running out of fuel in flight is the most preventable cause of aviation accidents. This calculator computes the total fuel required for a flight, accounting for taxi fuel, climb, cruise burn, descent, and legal reserves. Enter your burn rate from the POH, the planned flight time in each phase, the reserve time required, and the calculator returns total fuel needed, usable fuel required, and maximum flight endurance for a given fuel quantity.

Gallons per hour at planned cruise power setting (from POH)
Total planned airborne time including climb and descent
FAA: 0.5 hr day VFR, 0.75 hr night VFR, 0.75 hr IFR
Fuel burned before takeoff (typically 0.5-2 gallons)
Usable fuel capacity of your aircraft (from POH)
For range calculation
22.25 gal
6.38 gal
29.63 gal
OK
4.59 hr
550.59 nm

Fuel planning formulas

Trip Fuel = (burn_rate x flight_time) + taxi_fuel
Reserve Fuel = burn_rate x reserve_time
Total Required = Trip Fuel + Reserve Fuel
Endurance = usable_fuel / burn_rate (hours)
Range = Endurance x TAS (nautical miles)

FAA 14 CFR 91.151 sets minimum reserve at 30 minutes (0.5 hr) day VFR, 45 minutes (0.75 hr) night VFR. FAA 14 CFR 91.167 sets IFR reserves at 45 minutes at destination alternate. These are regulatory minimums; always carry more where practical.

Fuel planning best practices

  • Always plan with POH fuel burn figures, not assumptions. Lean mixture fuel burn can vary significantly from rich-of-peak figures.
  • Add a personal minimum margin of 1 hour reserve beyond the legal requirement.
  • Account for holding fuel if your destination has typical ATC delays or convective weather.
  • Avgas (100LL) weighs approximately 6.0 lb per US gallon; Jet-A weighs approximately 6.7 lb per US gallon at standard temperature.
  • Fuel exhaustion accidents are consistently one of the top causes of general aviation fatalities. Never compromise on fuel planning.

Aircraft fuel burn rate calculator: frequently asked questions

How do I find my aircraft's fuel burn rate?

Your aircraft's Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) contains cruise performance tables that list fuel consumption in gallons per hour (gph) or litres per hour at various power settings, altitudes, and temperatures. Use the table that matches your planned cruise altitude and power setting. Lean-of-peak operation typically reduces fuel burn 15-20% compared to rich-of-peak.

How much fuel reserve is required by FAA regulations?

For day VFR flight, FAA 14 CFR 91.151 requires enough fuel to fly to the first point of intended landing plus 30 minutes at cruise speed. For night VFR, it is 45 minutes. For IFR, 14 CFR 91.167 requires fuel to the destination, then to the alternate (if required), plus 45 minutes at normal cruise speed. These are legal minimums; operating with more reserve is strongly recommended.

What is endurance versus range?

Endurance is the maximum time an aircraft can remain airborne on a given fuel load. Range is the maximum horizontal distance it can cover. An aircraft flying at best-endurance speed (typically slower than best-range speed) stays aloft longer but covers less distance. Range is usually quoted as nautical miles and is calculated as TAS multiplied by endurance in hours.

How does altitude affect fuel burn?

Normally aspirated piston engines consume less fuel at altitude because the throttle is opened further to maintain power, but the charge is less dense. At higher altitudes where full throttle is reached, power (and thus fuel burn) decreases with altitude. Turbocharged engines maintain rated power to their critical altitude. Jet engines' specific fuel consumption also varies with altitude and speed.

What is specific fuel consumption?

Specific fuel consumption (SFC) for piston engines is the fuel flow divided by the power produced, expressed in lb/(hp x hr) or g/(kW x h). For jet engines it is thrust-specific fuel consumption (TSFC) expressed in lb/(lbf x hr) or kg/(N x s). Lower SFC means better fuel efficiency. SFC varies with power setting, altitude, and temperature.

Official sources

Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 14 June 2026. See our methodology.