Definition
The amount of fuel an aircraft consumes, expressed either as a rate (gallons or pounds per hour) or as a total quantity used over a specific leg, segment, or flight.
Plain English
How much fuel the aircraft uses, either per hour while flying or in total for a trip.
Context Anchor
Seen during preflight planning, especially when calculating whether the aircraft has enough fuel for the planned route, expected flight time, and required extra fuel.
Derivation
Fuel comes from an older word meaning material used to feed a fire. Burn means to consume by fire. In aviation, the phrase has become practical shorthand for fuel consumed by the engine, not for a visible fire.
Why Pilots Care
Accurate fuel burn figures ensure the aircraft carries enough fuel to reach the destination plus required reserves, directly affecting safety and legality of the flight.
Intuition Check
Fuel burn does not mean the airplane is on fire. Here, it means the amount of fuel the engine uses during operation.
Example Sentence 1
At cruise power, the POH shows a fuel burn of 9.5 gallons per hour.
Example Sentence 2
Higher headwinds increased the fuel burn and required an extra stop for fuel.