CAPT OF A CL601-3A; ACCEPTED EMER HANDLING BY ATC AFTER HE DECLARED A LOW FUEL STATUS. HE LANDED WITH 45 MINS OF FUEL ABOARD.

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WE DEPARTED HAB WITH 3800 LBS OF FUEL AND LANDED IN BWG WITH 2200 LBS OF FUEL. (45 MINS AT CRUISE.) I MISCALCULATED MY REQUIRED FUEL ON AN IFR FLT FROM HAB TO BWG BECAUSE OF A MATHEMATICAL ERROR. I WAS WRONG ABOUT AN EXPECTED TAILWIND; AND I WAS FORCED TO BURN TOO MUCH FUEL AT LOW ALT AFTER A VFR TKOF BEFORE AN IFR CLRNC WAS ISSUED. I REALIZED THIS MISCALCULATION WHILE ENRTE AND REVISED MY PLANS. WHEN WE CONTACTED THE CTLR WHO HANDLES TFC AT BWG; I INTENDED TO ASK FOR CLRNC TO A MINIMUM VECTORING ALT; SO I COULD POSSIBLY BREAK OUT; CANCEL MY IFR FLT PLAN; AND PROCEED VFR BECAUSE WE HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO DO THAT LEGALLY. IF THAT WAS NOT POSSIBLE; I INTENDED TO LAND IN NASHVILLE AND PURCHASE MORE FUEL. WHEN I CONTACTED THE CTLR; I LEARNED THAT I WAS FOURTH IN LINE FOR THE INST APCH TO BWG. I TOLD HIM ABOUT MY MINIMUM FUEL STATUS SO I COULD GET MORE INFO ABOUT THE DELAY. INSTEAD OF DISCUSSING MY STATUS AND GIVING ME MORE DETAILED INFO SO I COULD DECIDE WHAT TO DO AND BEFORE I COULD ASK FOR A LOWER ALT TO FIND VFR CONDITIONS; HE ASKED WHETHER I WAS DECLARING AN EMER. THE QUESTION STARTLED ME BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW THAT FAA PROCS NOW REQUIRE HIM TO DO THAT AUTOMATICALLY WITHOUT DISCUSSING OPTIONS. BECAUSE OF A HVY COCKPIT WORKLOAD EXISTING AT THAT TIME; AND THE SURPRISE NATURE OF THIS CTLR'S QUESTION; I MISTAKENLY REPLIED 'YES' TO HIS QUESTION. IMMEDIATELY; I WANTED TO TAKE THAT BACK; BUT I FELT IT WAS TOO LATE; AND PROBABLY NOT EVEN POSSIBLE; TO RESCIND THE EMER DECLARATION; SO I ACCEPTED THE CLRNC TO LAND AT BWG. I NEVER INTENDED TO DECLARE AN EMER; AND I DID NOT NEED TO DECLARE AN EMER BECAUSE I COULD HAVE LANDED AT NASHVILLE. THIS WAS AN INADVERTENT MISTAKE; CAUSED IN PART BY COCKPIT WORKLOAD AND A SUDDEN AND SUGGESTIVE QUESTION FROM THE CTLR. I FEEL THAT PLTS SHOULD BE WARNED THAT WHEN THEY ADVISE A CTLR ABOUT MINIMUM FUEL STATUS; THEY WOULD RECEIVE NO SUGGESTIONS; OFFERS; DISCUSSIONS OR OTHER ASSISTANCE EXCEPT AN INVITATION TO DECLARE AN EMER. I THINK MY CASE PROVES THAT TOO OFTEN SUCH AN INVITATION CAN BE UNDULY SUGGESTIVE AND CAUSE PLTS TO UNNECESSARILY DECLARE AN EMER THAT NOT REALLY EXIST.