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E6B Flight Computer

Pick a mode, enter the values you know and get the answer with the working: time, speed and distance, fuel, wind triangle, conversions, gradient or turn bank angle.

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The E6B flight computer covers the calculations a pilot repeats during planning: time, speed and distance, fuel, the wind triangle, unit conversions, climb gradient and turn bank angle. Choose a mode from the select at the top, enter the values you know, and the tool finds the missing one. Results appear in several units, so distance shows in nautical miles, statute miles and kilometres.

The wind triangle works in both directions. Enter the true course, true airspeed and wind to get the heading and ground speed, or enter the heading flown and the ground speed to find the wind aloft. The turn mode shows the exact bank angle for a standard rate turn next to the rule of thumb. This tool is a planning aid, so check each result against your aircraft data and your own working.

E6b flight computer example

How to use the E6B flight computer

  1. Open the mode select labelled “What do you want to work out?” and choose one of six modes: time, speed, distance; fuel; wind triangle; unit conversions; climb and descent gradient; turn bank angle.
  2. In the time, speed and distance mode, choose what to find: distance, ground speed or time. Enter the other two. Enter time as hours and minutes, for example 1 h 40 min.
  3. In the fuel mode, choose fuel needed, endurance or fuel flow, and enter the other two. Use one unit throughout, such as gallons, litres or pounds.
  4. In the wind triangle mode, choose “Heading and ground speed” or “The wind aloft”. Enter the true course, the TAS, the wind from direction and the wind speed, or the heading flown, the TAS, the true course and the ground speed.
  5. For a worked case, press a preset, such as 150 nm at 90 kt, and change one value to see the effect.
  6. Read the result, then open “How it was calculated” to see the steps with your own numbers.
  7. Press “Copy link” to keep your inputs in the address, “Print / save result” to make a record with the date, or “Reset” to clear the form and start again.

What does an E6B flight computer do?

The E6B is a circular slide rule used in aviation. It is used to work out fuel burn, wind correction and time en route, and its wheel also converts units. Naval Lt. Philip Dalton developed it in the United States in the late 1930s. This tool does the same sums on screen. For 150 nm at 90 kt, the time is 100 minutes, or 1:40.

Do pilots still use an E6B?

Yes, mostly in flight training. Many flight schools still teach on mechanical E6-Bs, which are light and need no power. For fuel, 9.5 gal/h for 2 h 30 min gives 23.75 gal.

How do you use the slide rule side of an E6B?

The front of the E6B is a logarithmic slide rule for multiplication and division. Unit names are marked on the wheel at the constants used for conversion, such as gallons, miles, kilometres, pounds, minutes and seconds. Once the wheel is set to a fixed ratio, such as pounds of fuel per hour, the rest of the wheel gives the same ratio for other values. Set 9.5 gal/h and read 23.75 gal for 2.5 hours.

How do you solve a wind triangle on the E6B?

Set the wind direction at the top of the back grid, mark the wind speed below the hole, then set the course at the top. Slide the grid until the mark sits on the TAS. Read the wind correction angle left or right of the hole, and read the ground speed at the hole. For a course of 090, a TAS of 100 and a wind of 000 at 20 kt, the heading is 078, the correction is 11.5 degrees left and the ground speed is 98.0 kt. This tool uses the same maths as the wind correction angle calculator.

How much bank does a standard rate turn need?

A standard rate turn is 3 degrees per second, so a full 360 degrees takes 2 minutes. The exact bank is tan(bank) = TAS x turn rate / g. At 100 kt, 51.444 m/s x 0.05236 rad/s / 9.80665 gives 0.2747, a bank of 15.4 degrees. The rule of thumb, TAS / 10 + 7, gives 17 degrees. At 250 kt the exact bank is 34.5 degrees and the rule gives 32, so the two agree within about one degree only around 120 to 150 kt.

Sources

Background on the E6B comes from the Wikipedia article “E6-B flight computer”, read 2026-10-25. Fuel weights follow the FAA Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, chapter 10, Weight and Balance. Checked October 2026.

Questions from readers

What is an E6B calculator?

It is another name for the E6B flight computer, a circular slide rule and wind grid used in aviation. This page works the same sums on screen.

Is the E6B allowed on the FAA written test?

Wikipedia’s E6-B article reports that for FAA written exams and checkrides pilots are encouraged to bring a mechanical E6-B but may use electronic ones. Check the rules of your testing centre before the exam.

What does the ‘whiz wheel’ mean?

It is a nickname for the E6B. Pilots use the two names for the same device.

How do I convert nautical miles to statute miles?

Multiply the nautical miles by 1.1508. For example, 100 nm equals 115.08 sm. One nautical mile is 1.852 km.

How many pounds is a gallon of avgas?

A US gallon of avgas weighs 6 lb under the standard weight used for weight and balance. Jet A weighs 6.8 lb per US gallon, so 10 US gal is 60 lb of avgas and 68 lb of Jet A. Real density varies with temperature and batch.

Does this calculator replace learning the E6B?

No. Flight schools still teach the E6B, and this tool shows each step with your numbers so you can check your own working.