OFF ARPT PRECAUTIONARY LNDG MADE BY PLT OF HUGHES 269C ROTARY WINGED ACFT WHEN FUEL LOW WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES NEAR CRQ; CA.

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DURING A LCL TRAINING FLT; THE LOW FUEL CAUTION LIGHT CAME ON. WE DEPARTED THE ARPT WITH THE FUEL GAUGE READING 28 GALLONS; 18 GALLONS OF WHICH I PERSONALLY PUT IN THE ACFT. DURING THE FLT; THE FUEL BURN RATE SEEMED A BIT HIGHER THAN NORMAL; SO WE DEPARTED THE TRAINING AREA AFTER AN HR. NORMAL FUEL BURN WOULD BE BTWN 12-14 GPH; AND THE LOW FUEL LIGHT COMES ON AT APPROX 1 GALLON OF USABLE FUEL. THE LIGHT STARTED TO FLICKER AT ABOUT 1 HR 15 MINS OF FLT TIME; AND WAS STEADILY ON WHEN WE MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG ABOUT 5 MI FROM THE ARPT AT 1 HR 20 MINS OF FLT. THIS GIVE US A FUEL BURN OF OVER 20 GPH. UPON LNDG; THERE WERE NO FUEL LEAKS APPARENT. THE ONLY REASONS THAT I CAN THINK OF FOR SUCH A HIGH FUEL CONSUMPTION ARE THAT THE ENG WAS MALFUNCTIONING; OR A GAUGE MALFUNCTION. WE CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE CALIBRATED DIP STICKS TO CHK FUEL LEVELS WITH; WHICH WOULD BE EXTREMELY USEFUL. I AM GOING TO PUSH TO GET SOME MADE; AS BEST AS I AM ABLE. I BELIEVE THAT MY DECISION TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG RATHER THAN CONTINUE ON TO THE ARPT WAS PROBABLY THE BEST ONE I HAVE MADE IN MY CAREER THUS FAR.