Fuel is the largest single variable cost on most flights, and the price per litre can differ dramatically between airports and between avgas and Jet A. This calculator turns fuel burn, block time and a reserve percentage into litres and euros for a specific trip, so you can compare routes and fuel stops before you fly.
How this calculator works
Trip fuel = hourly fuel burn multiplied by block time, plus the selected reserve percentage.
Worked example
A 2.5-hour trip at 42 L/h with a 15% reserve needs about 121 litres. At €2.60 per litre that is roughly €314 of fuel, per leg, before landing fees. The same trip in a Jet A diesel burning 28 L/h at €2.10 would cost about €169.
Fuel for one full-range leg, by aircraft
Each row is the fuel bill for one still-air leg at the aircraft's published range and cruise speed, including a 15 percent reserve, at its published burn and the price of the fuel it actually takes.
| Aircraft | Published burn | Block time | Fuel used | Fuel bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna 172P Skyhawk, single-engine piston | 32.6 L/h | 7.3 h | 273 L | €710 |
| Diamond DA42-VI, twin-engine piston | 39.4 L/h | 7 h | 317 L | €412 |
| Daher Kodiak 100 Series III, single-engine turboprop | 182 L/h | 6.2 h | 1,295 L | €1,683 |
| Robinson R44 Raven I, helicopter | 56.8 L/h | 2.8 h | 181 L | €472 |
What the table holds fixed
- Fuel burn is the published figure for each model at the condition its own cost guide states, and block time is published range divided by published cruise speed in still air. Neither is a derived number.
- A 15 percent reserve is added to every row, which is the calculator's opening value rather than a legal minimum. Check the reserve your operation requires.
- Avgas is priced at 2.6 euro per litre and Jet A-1 at 1.3, which is why the litres column and the bill column do not rank the aircraft the same way.
Frequently asked questions
How much fuel does a small plane burn per hour?
Light training singles burn roughly 25–40 litres per hour, high-performance pistons 60–90 L/h, and single-engine turboprops 180–260 L/h. Modern Jet A piston diesels are the outliers, often flying the same missions as avgas types on 25–35% less fuel.
Why add a fuel reserve percentage?
Regulations and good practice require landing with usable reserve fuel, at least 30–45 minutes of flight for VFR operations, more for IFR with an alternate. A percentage reserve on trip fuel is a simple planning proxy for that requirement, plus the routing detours and altitude changes that real flights involve.
Is avgas or Jet A more expensive?
In Europe, avgas 100LL typically costs €2.40–€3.20 per litre while Jet A is often materially cheaper and far more widely available at larger airports. This price and availability gap is one of the strongest practical arguments for Jet A-burning diesel pistons and turboprops on touring missions.