Bingo Fuel / Divert Trigger Calculator
Compute the fuel quantity at which you must divert: alternate distance, flow and reserve in — the gauge (and clock) number that makes the decision before stress does.
The military term earns its keep in GA holds and weather waits: bingo computed at the planning desk converts 'maybe one more approach' into arithmetic. The trigger is a quantity, decided in comfort, obeyed under stress.
Formula
⚠️ For flight planning and education only — verify with official sources, your POH/AFM and certified equipment. Not for primary navigation.
Compute the fuel quantity at which you must divert: alternate distance, flow and reserve in — the gauge (and clock) number that makes the decision before stress does.
About Bingo Fuel / Divert Trigger Calculator
Holds, weather waits and second approaches all consume the same resource, and the failure mode is deciding to leave one approach too late. Bingo fuel — the military's pre-committed divert trigger — is the fix: compute, before takeoff, the exact quantity at which reaching the alternate with reserves intact stops being guaranteed. This calculator builds it from divert distance, flow and your reserve, expressed both as gallons on the gauge and minutes on the clock.
How to use Bingo Fuel / Divert Trigger Calculator
- 1Enter — sensible defaults are pre-filled so you see a worked result immediately.
- 2Read the live results: .
- 3Check the "With your numbers" line to see the formula bingo = divert time × flow + approach allowance + reserve; reaching bingo = diverting, not deciding substituted step by step.
- 4Adjust inputs (or flip the unit toggle) until the scenario matches yours, then copy or share the result.
Why use Bingo Fuel / Divert Trigger Calculator?
- ✓Instant, free and private — every calculation runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded
- ✓Built on the published formula bingo = divert time × flow + approach allowance + reserve; reaching bingo = diverting, not deciding with sources cited on the page
- ✓The military term earns its keep in GA holds and weather waits: bingo computed at the planning desk converts 'maybe one more approach' into arithmetic. The trigger is a quantity, decided in comfort, obeyed under stress.
- ✓Switch units, tweak any input and watch every result update live
Frequently asked questions
How is bingo different from minimum fuel or emergency fuel declarations?+
Bingo is your private operational trigger — reaching it means executing the divert, no discussion. 'Minimum fuel' (declared to ATC) advises that you can accept no undue delay; 'MAYDAY fuel' declares that landing with less than final reserve is now possible. A respected bingo means never needing the other two phrases — they exist for when the trigger was set wrong or ignored.
Should bingo be a gauge reading or a clock time?+
Both, cross-checked: compute the gallons (this tool), then convert to time-since-takeoff using your known starting fuel and flow — the clock version survives gauge unreliability, the gauge version survives forgotten timers. When the two disagree, the more conservative wins. Many crews write both on the navlog margin before engine start.
What goes into choosing the alternate distance input?+
The realistic alternate for the moment that matters — usually mid-hold over the destination, not the planning-stage paper alternate. Weather moves: the smart habit is recomputing bingo en route when the picture changes ('with Mudville down, my real out is now 85 nm — new bingo is 14 gallons'). The calculator takes seconds; the recomputation discipline is the skill.
Why do pilots blow through bingo psychologically?+
Sunk-cost momentum ('we're third in line now'), optimism about the next attempt, and the gradient of stress narrowing decision-making exactly when the math needs respecting. Pre-commitment is the cognitive armor: the decision was made by your well-rested self at a desk; airborne-you only executes it. The number being specific — 14.2 gallons, not 'getting low' — is what makes the armor hold.
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