Pitts. UPLIFTED FUEL. In professional aviation we make a big effort to ratify/verify the amount uplifted against the difference on the fuel gauges before and after refuel. But it is meaningless if the gross amount displayed before refuel is already erroneous AND we did not fill and witness to the brim.
Read/listen to what is being written. Anecdotal evidence of fuel indicating in the supply tanks that wasn’t there.
FUEL ENDURANCE - unless you are Stephen Hawkins, mentally calculating the predicted fuel consumption on a Police Ops flight is practically impossible. Hovering, balls-out, loiter type circling and everything in between was taking place on this flight. Other than a vague notion of what could have been used the pilot could easily be 10-20% out. Thus a very heavy reliance on gauge indications is necessary. And that is assuming the value indicated at all stages of flight is correct.