Aircraft Fuel Burn Calculator
Fuel Burn: The Number Every Flight Budget Starts With
Fuel is typically the single largest variable cost in operating an aircraft, and it scales directly with two things: how fast the engines consume it, and how long they run. This calculator turns those two inputs into a trip fuel figure two different ways — from flight time directly, or from distance and ground speed when time hasn't been worked out yet — so it fits naturally into planning at whichever stage you're at.
The Formulas
There are two calculation paths, selected by which inputs are available:
Fuel Used = Fuel Flow Rate × Flight Time
Distance-based:
Flight Time = Distance ÷ Ground Speed
Fuel Used = Fuel Flow Rate × Flight Time
Both converge on the same underlying relationship — fuel flow rate (gallons per hour) multiplied by time airborne (hours). The distance-based path simply derives that time first from distance over ground speed.
Where This Calculation Matters
- Trip cost estimation — multiply the result by current fuel price per gallon to get a realistic per-flight fuel cost before committing to a trip.
- Payload trade-offs — on weight-limited aircraft, knowing fuel burn in advance helps decide how much can be carried in passengers or cargo versus fuel.
- Range verification — comparing calculated fuel burn against usable fuel capacity is a quick sanity check on whether a route is flyable without a stop.
- Comparing aircraft — running the same route through different fuel flow rates makes it straightforward to compare operating cost between airframe options.
Typical Fuel Flow by Aircraft Class
Fuel flow varies enormously by airframe and power setting. The figures below are representative cruise fuel flows, useful as sanity-check ranges rather than performance-chart replacements:
| Aircraft Class | Typical Fuel Flow |
|---|---|
| Single-engine piston (e.g. C172-class) | 8–10 gal/hr |
| High-performance single (e.g. SR22-class) | 15–18 gal/hr |
| Light twin piston | 24–30 gal/hr |
| Turboprop (single-engine) | 50–70 gal/hr |
| Light business jet | 150–190 gal/hr |
| Mid-size business jet | 230–280 gal/hr |
Always use the fuel flow figures from the aircraft's own performance charts or fuel totalizer for actual flight planning — the table above is for general reference only.
How to Use This Calculator
- Choose whether you're calculating from flight time or from distance and ground speed.
- Enter the fuel flow rate in gallons per hour, taken from the aircraft's performance data at your planned power setting.
- Depending on the mode selected, enter either the flight time directly, or the distance in nautical miles plus expected ground speed in knots.
- Select Calculate for the total fuel required, along with the full working shown step by step.
Related Calculations
Pair this result with the Fuel Reserve Calculator to add regulatory reserve fuel on top of trip fuel, or start from the Flight Distance Calculator if you don't yet have a distance figure for the route.