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Flight Plan Time Calculator

Work out flight plan time instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Flight Plan Time Calculator

Estimated time enroute is route distance divided by ground speed, where ground speed is true airspeed adjusted for the head or tailwind component along track, plus an allowance for the climb and descent phases where speeds differ from cruise.

Formula

Flight time

ETE = distance / (TAS - headwind) x 60 + climb/descent allowance

Worked example

With the default values below, Flight Plan Time Calculator returns Estimated time enroute of 113. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Route distance
420 nm
Cruise true airspeed
290 kt
Head/tailwind component (positive = headwind)
25 kt
Climb and descent allowance
18 min

Results

Estimated time enroute
113 min
Time in cruise
95 min
Cruise ground speed
265.00 kt
Total time
1.88 h

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Flight time
  3. 3Estimated time enroute= 113 min
  4. 4Time in cruise= 95 min
  5. 5Cruise ground speed= 265.00 kt
  6. 6Total time= 1.88 h

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
  • Aviation results are planning estimates only. Always verify take-off, landing, fuel, weight and balance figures against the certified Aircraft Flight Manual, current performance charts and applicable aviation regulations before flight.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Aviation results are planning estimates only. Always verify take-off, landing, fuel, weight and balance figures against the certified Aircraft Flight Manual, current performance charts and applicable aviation regulations before flight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should the allowance be a flat number?

A flat 15-20 minutes works for short and medium legs. For long-haul the climb and descent are a small fraction of the total, so route-specific data is better.

Which wind should I use?

The mean along-track component from the forecast wind at cruise level, not the surface wind.

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