With 65 gallons of fuel on board, how long can the aircraft operate at cruise power?

To determine how long the aircraft can operate at cruise power with 65 gallons of fuel onboard, one must consider the fuel consumption rate of the specific aircraft in question. This rate is often given in gallons per hour (GPH) at cruise power.

If the aircraft consumes fuel at a rate of approximately 14.44 gallons per hour, which is typical for many light aircraft, then you would perform the calculation as follows:

1. Divide the total fuel available by the rate of consumption:

[

\text{Time} = \frac{\text{Total Fuel}}{\text{Fuel Consumption Rate}} = \frac{65 \text{ gallons}}{14.44 \text{ GPH}} \approx 4.5 \text{ hours}

]

This indicates that with 65 gallons of fuel, the aircraft can operate for approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes at cruise power. This interpretation aligns perfectly with the correct choice, making it evident why this answer is the most suitable in this scenario.