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Fuel Management

GO BEYOND THE TEXTBOOK—BE FUEL AWARE WITH THIS SAFETY SPOTLIGHT

Model Thea Botezan fueling a Cessna 177 Cardinal at Atlas Aviation. Peter O'Knight Airport (TPF)Tampa FL USAThere’s a lot to know about fuel management and preventing fuel exhaustion or starvation. Pilots have made forced landings with fuel still available because they did not understand the system or operate it properly. Of all the factors that lead to aircraft accidents, fuel is one of the easiest to address. If you know your fuel system, verify that you have the right type and quantity of fuel, lean your engine properly, and stay alert to changing conditions, the odds of a fuel-related incident are virtually nonexistent.

This safety spotlight discusses these subjects in detail and offers suggestions to improve fuel awareness and reduce fuel-related incidents.

You’ll review:

  • Fuel range vs endurance
  • Various fuel pump systems
  • Why you should be present at fueling
  • What to do in case of a fuel emergency
  • Proper in-flight fuel management
  • Leaning techniques 
  • Tools to estimate fuel consumption