Hi, folks!How do you calculate how much fuel you take in your plane? There is no point of taking too much fuel with you, isn

WELL, I'M NOT A REAL PILOT, BUT THIS IS WHAT I DO:FIRST OF ALL YOU ARE RIGHT, YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO TOP OFF YOUR TANKS AND TAKE OFF, YOU WILL BE CARRYING A LOT OF 'DEAD WEIGHT' AND THUS BURNING MORE FUEL TO GET THERE. START WITH THIS, IS AN EXCEL WORKSHEET,http://www.tooby.demon.co.uk/P_Assist_Home.htmlTHEN GETTING TECHNICAL INFO FROM MANUFACTURES YOU CAN ADD YOUR OWN PLANE, TO THIS CALCULATOR.THE OBJECTIVE: HAVE ENOUGH FUEL FOR AL LTHE FLIGHT PHASES, INCLUDING TAXING IN BOTH AIRPORTS, AND A RESERVE FOR DELAYS, AND DIVERTION, BASICALLY 45 MIN OF FUEL.IF I DO THAT I USUALLY LAND WITH 12 TO 15% OF THE TOTAL CAPACITY OF THE TANKS.HOPE THIS HELPS.

A good idea is to visit the aircraft manufacturer's website to look up the accurate information on fuel consumption.From this, you should be able to work how much fuel you require based upon the length of your flight. Aim to reach your destination with 10% fuel remaining and all should be well. :D.

In a small GA type aircraft, I'll usually have the tanks topped off, unless maximum gross weight is a consideration. I'd rather worry about a little less performance, than running out of fuel while airborne. And this happens much to often! If it's just some pattern work, or a short hop, then it would be different. Another reason for topping of the tanks, is to help prevent condensation (water) in the fuel tanks.L.Adamson

For the DC-3, including T/O and Landing, rule of thumb is 100 gallons per hour of flight time.Cruise is 140 kts/168 mph.You should know your distance so should be easy enough to figure from there. I do that then add 10% more for safety margin.However, when I'm particularly lazy, I just fill my mains at 404 gallons and leave the auxillaries empty, unless I'm looking at a particularly long flight.Regards,Heather

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Thanks! Well, almost half of my flight time I