Aviation Training Experts

Aviation Training Experts™

Contingency Fuel Calculator

Estimate contingency fuel using trip fuel and contingency percentage. This free aviation calculator helps pilots add an extra planning margin for variations and uncertainty.

Calculate Contingency Fuel

Enter trip fuel and the contingency percentage to calculate contingency fuel required.

Contingency Fuel Calculator

Enter the percentage you want to apply to trip fuel as a contingency margin.

How It Works

Contingency Fuel:
Trip Fuel × Contingency Percentage
Example:
28.5 gallons × 5% = 1.43 gallons
Planning Note:
Contingency fuel is usually planned separately from trip, alternate, reserve, and taxi fuel.

This calculator is a planning aid. Always use the fuel planning requirements and procedures appropriate to the operation.

What Is Contingency Fuel?

Contingency fuel is additional fuel planned to account for minor variations and uncertainty during flight. It can help cover things like small routing differences, winds that differ from forecast, or other reasonable operating variations.

Planning contingency fuel separately helps pilots keep the total fuel plan organized and makes it easier to distinguish between trip fuel, reserve fuel, and other fuel categories.

Why Pilots Use a Contingency Fuel Calculator

Contingency Fuel FAQ

Does contingency fuel replace reserve fuel?

No. Contingency fuel and reserve fuel serve different purposes and are often planned separately.

Should contingency fuel be based on trip fuel?

Yes. A common planning method is to calculate contingency fuel as a percentage of trip fuel.

What contingency percentage should I use?

That depends on the type of operation, applicable procedures, and planning method. This calculator lets you choose the percentage you want to apply.

Is this calculator enough for operational fuel planning?

This calculator is a planning aid. Pilots should always use approved aircraft data, applicable requirements, and sound operational judgment.