In civil aviation, fuel planning is routine: trip fuel + alternate + 30–45 minutes. In military jets, it’s a different world entirely.

You’re not just flying a route — you’re flying a mission. That means:

- Fewer suitable airfieldsS

- Strict timing constraints

- No room for last minute decision

- And a razor-thin margin between “I’m good” and “I won’t make it back”

That’s why fuel planning in fast jets becomes a tactical decision, not just a line on a flight plan. And why military pilots use custom kneeboards — clean, visual reference pages that keep all the critical info right at their fingertips:

- Minimum fuel thresholds

- Diversion options

- Runway and navaid data, at a glance

Attached below are two examples: a generic diversion diagram, and one tailored for the A-10.

So if you're flying jets in MSFS — even just for fun — taking a few minutes to think like this can add a surprising level of realism and immersion. It’s not about being “hardcore.” It’s about flying smarter.

If you're curious, I’ve written a breakdown of how military-style fuel planning works, plus a few examples of kneeboard pages I designed around it: https://www.patreon.com/posts/120670604

Fly smart — and don’t guess your bingo!

I actually never though about this... in BMS I always take off with full tanks and use the mission given joker and bingo.