Originally Posted by
PA28181
Make sure wings level or readins are u/s
When you are familar with acrft you will soon learn to work on tme flown since last refuel ie: tabs or full. A pretty accurate fuel assesment.
Tabs are a fixed dipstick with one reading. They are also only accurate with the wings level. The advantage of using a dipstick is you get a reading of fuel quantity regardless of what the level is. The caveat of course is having an accurate stick. Calibrating one is not exactly rock science though as you just have to sit the aircraft on a level surface and add measured amounts of fuel.
BTW working fuel gauges are
required for Cessna and Piper aircraft in order for them to have the C of A in force. The fuel gauges are admittedly not terribly accurate at high fuel levels but if working properly they will be quite accurate at fuel levels of 1/4 tanks and below and when they indicate zero there is no more fuel left. Low readings on the fuel gauge should always be treated with respect and I refuse to fly an aircraft with fuel gauges that don't work as that aircraft is not legally airworthy.