As regards extra legs, my feeling is that the best way is to plan the flight as best as one can, and execute it to the plan. Then (assuming you know the fuel burn) the fuel ought to work out.
Fuel circles are part of that flight planning and which is precisely why Fuel circles on the chart are a good idea...if you need to make extra legs, you know with a quick glance whether you have the fuel to do so....
I did some (somewhat artificial but required by the FTO) detailed fuel plans in the JAA IR training. One is supposed to maintain a fuel column in the plog.....The plog form didn't have anywhere enough room so I used a spreadsheet.
...and did you find this useful? Wouldn't it have been much better on your chart though instead of a spreadsheet?!
But paradoxically this is unworkable in "common GA" because the fuel burn is not known anywhere near that accurately. It is know to within about 20%.
Understood, but my point is, when flying at 90kts, one does not have to be quite so accurate. I have already admitted that I round my fuel figures up or down to make mental arithmetic easier. I would much rather know that I still have the required 15 litres FOG minimum plus some to get home!
