What is the marginal fuel percentage in L/O?

• A. 2.0-3.4%
• B. 0-1.9%
• C. 3.5-4.9%
• D. 5.0% and greater

Answer: (A)

Marginal fuel is the extra cushion added to mission fuel during load-out planning to cover unforeseen changes—like headwinds, longer routing, or the need to divert to an alternate field. It’s expressed as a percentage of the planned load-out fuel, so planners know how much reserve is kept without over-penalizing payload.

The range of two to three and a bit percent is used because it provides a practical balance: enough cushion to handle common contingencies without taking away too much payload or mission capability. A margin under two percent often isn’t enough to absorb typical variances, while margins well above three to four percent begin to erode payload or mission effectiveness.