At Aerotoscana, we believe that flying safely means flying with precise information. We know that safety, efficiency, and meticulous planning are non-negotiable, which is why we’ve integrated a system that completely transforms how we manage fuel in our Robinson R66: the flowmeter, fully integrated with the Garmin GTN 750.
🔧 What is a Flowmeter and Why Is It Essential in Flight?
The flowmeter provides highly accurate, real-time fuel flow measurements directly from the line — unlike the traditional tank gauge, which only gives rough estimates. With this system, we get critical data such as:
• Current fuel onboard.
• Actual hourly fuel consumption.
• Remaining liters available for continued flight.
In our R66, which has an average burn rate of 88 liters/hour and a total capacity of 279 liters, having this precision is vital when operating in remote or mountainous regions where there’s no room for error.
🧠 Smart Fuel Planning with Garmin GTN 750
By integrating the flowmeter with the GTN 750, all fuel data is displayed directly on the navigation screen, allowing us to:
• Automatically calculate the fuel needed to reach the destination.
• Estimate reserves upon arrival.
• View total flight range in real time.
• Optimize the flight plan on the fly, without manual data entry.
Even without a preloaded flight plan, the system performs instant calculations.
🗺️ Range Rings: Visual Planning in Seconds
One of the most powerful features of the GTN 750 is its dual range rings on the map display:
• Outer ring: shows the maximum possible range with current fuel.
• Inner ring: shows the range factoring in a preset minimum reserve (for example, 30 liters).
This gives the pilot instant situational awareness — you know at a glance whether your destination is within a safe margin or if replanning is required.
👉 Example from our cockpit:
📊 Real-Life Example: Planning with Zero Guesswork
Let’s look at a real scenario, taken directly from one of our R66 flights (see the photo included in this article for visual reference):
- Fuel on board: 286.5 liters.
- Current fuel flow: 80.6 liters/hour.
- Ground speed: 110 KT (knots).
- Fuel required to reach SCHC: 52 liters.
- Fuel remaining at destination: 234.5 liters.
- Estimated reserve upon landing: 2 hours 54 minutes.
- Total endurance: 3 hours 33 minutes.
- Total calculated range: 391 nautical miles.
This means that for this mission, we not only arrive at our destination with plenty of margin, but we also have over 2.5 hours of reserve upon landing. This level of detailed, automatic planning significantly reduces pilot workload and eliminates manual calculations, allowing us to stay fully focused on safe and efficient flying.
🚁 Why We Use This Technology at Aerotoscana
Because we believe in flying with real data — not assumptions.
- Enhances operational safety.
- Enables fast, precise planning.
- Reduces pilot workload and stress.
- Optimizes every liter of fuel.
All fully integrated in the cockpit — no spreadsheets, no external calculations — just accurate, actionable information at a glance.
✅ Certified Installation at Eagle Copters Southamerica
We proudly completed this system’s installation with Eagle Copters Southamerica, our trusted partner in aircraft maintenance and upgrades. This collaboration ensures we maintain the highest standards of quality and safety on every flight.
🎥 See It in Action
Want to see how it works? Watch how we use the flowmeter and GTN 750 in flight, how the range rings display, and how we make real-time decisions:
About the authors
This article was written by María Jesús Ardura and Felipe Reitz, founders of Aerotoscana, helicopter operators and aviation content creators specializing in agricultural and mountain operations across Chile and South America.