What is the specific fuel requirement for flight under vfr during daylight hours in an airplane

This content is from the eCFR and is authoritative but unofficial.

Think you know your stuff? Quiz yourself with these FAA test questions.

1. What is the specific fuel requirement for flight under VFR during daylight hours in an airplane?A) Enough to complete the flight at normal cruising speed with adverse wind conditions.B) Enough to fly to the first point of intended landing and to fly after that for 30 minutes at normal cruising speed.

C) Enough to fly to the first point of intended landing and to fly after that for 45 minutes at normal cruising speed.

2. Upon encountering severe turbulence, which flight condition should the pilot attempt to maintain?A) Constant altitude and airspeed.B) Constant angle of attack.

C) Level flight attitude.

3. The wind at 5,000 feet agl is southwesterly while the surface wind is southerly. This difference in direction is primarily caused byA) stronger pressure gradient at higher altitudes.B) friction between the wind and the surface.

C) stronger Coriolis force at the surface.

4. Under what condition, if any, may pilots fly through a restricted area?A) When flying on airways with an ATC clearance.B) With the controlling agency’s authorization.

C) Regulations do not allow this.

5. If there is thunderstorm activity in the vicinity of an airport at which you plan to land, which hazardous atmospheric phenomenon might be expected on the landing approach?A) Precipitation static.B) Wind-shear turbulence.

C) Steady rain.

6. To act as pilot in command of an aircraft carrying passengers, a pilot must show by logbook endorsement the satisfactory completion of a flight review or completion of a pilot proficiency check within the precedingA) six calendar months.B) 12 calendar months.

C) 24 calendar months.

7. The recommended entry position to an airport traffic pattern isA) 45 degrees to the base leg just below traffic pattern altitude.B) to enter 45 degrees at the midpoint of the downwind leg at traffic pattern altitude.

C) to cross directly over the airport at traffic pattern altitude and join the downwind leg.

8. FAA advisory circulars (some free, others at cost) are available to all pilots and are obtained byA) distribution from the nearest FAA district office.B) ordering those desired from the Government Printing Office.

C) subscribing to the Federal Register.

1. The correct answer is B. The minimum amount of fuel required by FAR 91.151 for a flight during daytime is to fly to the point of intended landing and thereafter for 30 minutes. Answer A is incorrect because additional fuel is required past the point of intended landing. Answer C refers to required night fuel minimums.

2. The correct answer is C. When encountering severe turbulence the aircraft should be slowed to maneuvering speed and a level flight attitude should be maintained. Answers A and C are incorrect because attempting to maintain a constant altitude could lead to excess stress on the aircraft. (Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge)

3. The correct answer is B. The wind speed at the surface is slower because of surface friction, which causes the Coriolis force to have less effect. Answer A is incorrect because pressure gradients relate to wind speed, not necessarily direction. Answer C is incorrect because surface friction accounts for a larger change near the surface than the Coriolis force. (Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 11.)

4. The correct answer is B. According to Section 3-4-3 of the Aeronautical Information Manual, a pilot may fly through a restricted area if he or she has the approval from the controlling agency. Very often air traffic control in the vicinity will have the authority to permit aircraft to enter a restricted area. Answer A is incorrect because being on an airway is irrelevant with regard to penetrating restricted airspace. Answer C is incorrect because it is legal to fly within restricted areas when the controlling agency gives clearance.

5. The correct answer is B. When in the vicinity of a thunderstorm the most hazardous condition is wind-shear turbulence. Severe thunderstorms are able to produce severe turbulence more than 20 miles away, so a buffer of 20 to 30 miles should be maintained when in the vicinity of strong echoes (see AIM Section 7-1-28). Answer A is incorrect because an airplane with static wicks shouldn’t have to worry about precipitation static. Answer C is incorrect because you would expect showery precipitation.

6. The correct answer is C. To act as pilot in command of an aircraft with or without passengers a pilot must have completed a flight review within the preceding 24 calendar months. In addition to the flight review a pilot must have made three takeoffs and landings within the preceding 90 days to carry passengers. If carrying passengers in a tailwheel aircraft the takeoffs and landings must be to a full stop. (FAR 61.56)

7. The correct answer is B. The recommended traffic pattern entry as referenced in section 4-3-3 of the AIM is to enter midfield at a 45-degree angle to the downwind leg. Answer A is incorrect because it’s not the right position, and it’s advisable to enter the pattern at the proper altitude. Answer C is incorrect because it’s not the FAA’s defined entry point, although many pilots use it.

8. The correct answer is B. Advisory circulars are nonregulatory and contain material that may be of interest to pilots and the public. Advisory circulars may be obtained from the FAA website (www.faa.gov) or by ordering those not available online from the Government Printing Office. (Advisory Circular 00-2)

So, how much fuel do you need exactly?

Let’s start with the bare minimum regulations followed by what you should actually do.

VFR Fuel requirements (airplanes and helicopters):

Day: You need enough fuel to fly to your first landing point and then still have 30 minutes of fuel remaining at a normal cruise speed.

Night: Same as above, but you need 45 minutes after reaching your first point.

Helicopters: Same as above but you need 20 minutes regardless of day or night conditions.

If you want the exact wording check out these specific regulations: CFR 91.151 and CFR 91.167

Recommended Fuel Reserves:

Because the FAA’s Part 91 regulations are quite liberal, I like to set my own personal standards.

Here are the numbers I use:

One hour of fuel reserve on IFR flights (airplane and helicopter)
One hour of fuel reserve on airplane VFR flights regardless of day/night conditions.
30 minutes of fuel reserve on helicopter VFR flights

Yeah, I know, these are pretty conservative numbers!

There are four reasons I use these numbers:

#1 I like to avoid math. Rounding up to an hour or 30 minutes makes my life easy.

#2 I have no patience with low-precision fuel gauges. GA aircraft are notorious for fuel gauges that give only rough numbers. An hour gives me plenty of cushion to make up for ambiguous readings.

Note: I still use these numbers in the King Air which has great fuel gauges (see reason #4)

#3 I can’t remember all the different FAA regs. This makes my life simple. I don’t have to change things if it’s day or night or I am flying IFR or VFR. It’s always the same.

#4 This extra time makes up for my sometimes lackluster performance planning.

Sometimes I plan a ton of flights above FL180 and then when I fly low on a mission my fuel numbers are way off. Aircraft burn fuel faster at lower altitudes. This extra cushion takes care of my laziness.

This poor planning may seem like blasphemy for new pilots, but when you fly almost every day pilots tend to generalize planning numbers as they learn their aircraft.

Feel free to set your own numbers. The intent of these recommendations is to get you thinking about whether the FAA’s minimum requirements are enough.

I am never this conservative when I fly Army missions, but for good reason. When I flew in combat, the guys on the ground needed us. We always stayed until the last-minute.

Are you supporting troops on the ground? No? I didn’t think so.

You’re flying in national airspace. There are hundreds of airports. You have no excuse to push it.

So, do yourself a favor and pad your fuel numbers. You will never regret it.

Additional Reading:

The Rules and Fuel by Flying Magazine

AOPA Legal Briefing on Fuel

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