CO₂ emissions of touring aircraft
Touring aircraft carry people and baggage cross-country. They have more power than a trainer, and pilots fly them for trips rather than for training circuits.
More engine power means more fuel burned each hour, and the figure here depends on the engine and the power setting. The numbers are for about 75% power in cruise, so a pilot who flies slower or leans harder burns less.
Key facts
- Aircraft types
- 8
- Lowest CO₂ per hour
- 83 kg
- Cessna 177 Cardinal
- Highest CO₂ per hour
- 133 kg
- Piper PA-32 Saratoga
On average these aircraft emit 103 kg of CO₂ an hour, 1.2 times the 88 kg of a Cessna 172.
Touring aircraft: CO₂ per hour
Sorted by CO₂ per hour, lowest first. Fuel flow is for the whole aircraft at about 75% power in cruise, and the cost uses the monthly plan rate.
| Aircraft | CO₂ per hour | Cost to offset an hour |
|---|---|---|
| Cessna 177 Cardinal4 seats, 180 hp | 83 kg | $2.99 |
| Robin DR400/180 Régent4 seats, 180 hp | 86 kg | $3.10 |
| Grumman AA-5B Tiger4 seats, 180 hp | 90 kg | $3.24 |
| Beechcraft Sundowner4 seats, 180 hp | 91 kg | $3.28 |
| Cirrus SR204–5 seats, 200–215 hp | 100 kg | $3.60 |
| Cessna 182 Skylane4 seats, 230 hp | 112 kg | $4.03 |
| Cessna 210 Centurion6 seats, 285–310 hp | 130 kg | $4.68 |
| Piper PA-32 Saratoga6–7 seats, 260–300 hp | 133 kg | $4.79 |
Touring aircraft compared
CO₂ per flight hour on one scale with every aircraft we cover, so you can compare across groups. The Cessna 172, the reference aircraft for general aviation, is included.
How we calculate this
Each figure is fuel flow at about 75% power in cruise, leaned as the POH recommends, times the avgas factor of 8.31 kg of CO₂ per US gallon. Where a type's common variants differ, we use the one that burns more, so an offset never falls short.
GuideHow to calculate your flight's CO₂ emissionsThe formula, the emission factors for avgas and jet fuel, three ways to get your fuel figure, and a worked example for a year of flying a Cessna 172.
FuelAvgas 100LL and its CO₂ factorCO₂ per US gallon and per liter, a converter and the agencies' factors.
Other groups of aircraft
Aircraft categoryTrainers11 types, 44 to 88 kg of CO₂ an hour.
Aircraft categoryHigh-performance aircraft9 types, 90 to 166 kg of CO₂ an hour.
Aircraft categoryMulti-engine aircraft7 types, 85 to 266 kg of CO₂ an hour.
Aircraft categoryBush and float planes6 types, 32 to 237 kg of CO₂ an hour.
Aircraft categoryVintage taildraggers8 types, 37 to 119 kg of CO₂ an hour.
Aircraft categoryAerobatic aircraft4 types, 56 to 151 kg of CO₂ an hour.
Aircraft categoryHelicopters4 types, 66 to 125 kg of CO₂ an hour.
CalculatorAll categoriesEvery group of aircraft side by side.
CalculatorAll aircraft by CO₂ per hourEvery aircraft we cover, on one scale.
Offset the CO₂ from every hour you fly
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