Flight time and fuel calculator
Enter a departure and a destination airport, your cruise true airspeed and fuel burn. The calculator gives the great-circle distance, the initial true course, the time in still air and the fuel including the reserve.
Still air, straight line, constant speed. Not for navigation.
The fuel reserves in the regulations
- VFR by day: enough fuel to fly to the first point of intended landing and, at normal cruising speed, for at least 30 minutes after that (14 CFR 91.151(a)(1)).
- VFR at night: the same, with at least 45 minutes (14 CFR 91.151(a)(2)).
- IFR: enough to complete the flight to the first airport of intended landing, fly from there to the alternate when one is required, and then fly for 45 minutes at normal cruising speed (14 CFR 91.167(a)).
- The pilot in command is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to, the operation of the aircraft (14 CFR 91.3(a)), and must become familiar with all available information concerning the flight, including fuel requirements (14 CFR 91.103).
What this does not account for
- Wind. Time and fuel are for still air; a headwind raises both.
- Climb, descent, taxi, run-up and holding. Use your aircraft's flight manual for those.
- Routing. The line is a great circle between airport reference points, not an airway, and takes no account of airspace, terrain or temporary flight restrictions.
- Magnetic variation. The course is true; apply the variation for your area.
- Fuel prices. Voydar does not publish fuel prices.
Questions
- Is this a flight planner?
- No. It is a quick planning figure: distance, course, still-air time and fuel with the regulatory reserve. It does not replace a flight plan, a weather briefing or your aircraft's performance data.
- Why is the course true and not magnetic?
- The course is measured from true north along the great circle at the departure airport. Apply the local magnetic variation to get a magnetic course; it also changes along a long route.
- Where do the airport positions come from?
- From OurAirports, a public-domain airport dataset, as shown on each Voydar airport page.
This page works out dates from what you type. It is not legal advice and it does not say whether an aircraft is airworthy or whether you may fly. The owner or operator is primarily responsible for keeping an aircraft in an airworthy condition (14 CFR 91.403(a)); your mechanic and the current text of the regulations decide.
Keep these dates in one place
Voydar Hangar tracks the same dates for your aircraft on one timeline, puts them in your calendar, and counts hours-based items from your tach readings. It is in a staff test and not open yet.
More owner tools
- Aircraft inspection due date calculatorEnter when each inspection or check was last done. The calculator shows the last day it is current under the period in the regulation, and how far away that is.
- Pilot medical and flight review date calculatorEnter the date of your medical examination and your last flight review. The dates are worked out in your browser: nothing you type here is sent to Voydar.
- N-number lookupType a US aircraft registration. Voydar shows the airframe from the FAA register and links to its page.
- What records an aircraft owner must keepThe maintenance records 14 CFR 91.417 requires, how long each is kept, and what transfers with the aircraft at a sale.
- Aircraft records checklist for buyersThe records to ask a seller for before a pre-purchase inspection, and the regulation behind each.