Aviation calculators that show their working
30 free calculators for flight planning practice and study. Every one explains the method it uses, shows a worked example that has been checked against a reference, and says where the result stops being reliable.
Most used
See all- Density altitude Field elevation, altimeter setting and temperature into density altitude.
- Top of descent How far out to start down, and the rate of descent it needs.
- Trip fuel required Planned time and fuel flow into the total fuel a trip needs.
- Time, speed and distance Solve whichever of the three you are missing from the other two.
- Runway wind components Split a reported wind into crosswind and headwind or tailwind for a runway.
- True airspeed Calibrated airspeed, pressure altitude and temperature into true airspeed.
By category
How the numbers are checked
Each calculator is built from a published formula, not from copying another website. The working is then verified three ways: against a worked example from a reference, against a boundary or error case, and against the same calculation done in different units.
Where a calculator uses a full physical model rather than the familiar cockpit rule of thumb, the page says so and shows how far apart the two answers are. Where a result rests on an assumption that is often untrue, such as still air in a glide, the page says that too.
A note on using these in the air
These are educational and planning aids. They are not approved for operational use and they cannot replace current official weather, your aircraft flight manual, or the rules that apply to your flight. No calculation on this site approves a flight.