The first person the chimes in and says that they don't depart on flights in piston planes without full tanks is either:
1. Stupid
Mmm . . . not necessarily.
No, Sir!
3. Aware of EXACTLY how much fuel was in the plane because they were the last ones to fly it
Is it possible to know exactly how much fuel is in the tanks when somebody else flew it?
4. Flying with a VERY good fuel totalizer, which is a device I've never flown with.
I'll tell you, I've flown with those, and they're SWEET!!!!
At my company, in the 210, we dipped the tanks. You know, little hollow plastic tube with numbers on it. We have a chart that allows us to use that stick and know exactly how much fuel is in the tanks. Basically, in the 210, I'd get enough gas to be legal, plus any extra for weather, deviations, and ATL vectors . . . :insane:
Now, the Baron is a little bit more complicated. Because of the shape of the wing tanks, there's no way to dip them. As Averyrm stated, with full tanks, you don't have much room for work. I think in the one I've been flying this week, I can throw 557 pounds of cargo in the back with full fuel. Now, sometimes that's enough. Other times, that's just not going to cut it. So, you have to find another way to determine how much fuel is in the tanks. Sometimes, as much as some people don't like it, it may mean knowing exactly how long the previous pilot flew, and when it was last topped off.