Flight Time Between Airports Calculator

Flight Time Formula:

\[ Flight\ Time = \frac{Distance}{Ground\ Speed} \]

Departure Airport Latitude:

Departure Airport Longitude:

Arrival Airport Latitude:

Arrival Airport Longitude:

Ground Speed:

knots

Distance:

Flight Time:

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1. What is Flight Time Calculation?

Flight time calculation estimates the duration of a flight between two airports using great-circle distance divided by ground speed. It accounts for the Earth's curvature using the Haversine formula for accurate distance measurement.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the flight time formula:

\[ Flight\ Time = \frac{Distance}{Ground\ Speed} \]

Where distance is calculated using the Haversine formula:

\[ a = \sin^2(\Delta\phi/2) + \cos\phi_1 \cdot \cos\phi_2 \cdot \sin^2(\Delta\lambda/2) \] \[ c = 2 \cdot \atan2(\sqrt{a}, \sqrt{1-a}) \] \[ Distance = R \cdot c \]

Where:

\( \phi \) — Latitude in radians
\( \lambda \) — Longitude in radians
\( \Delta\phi \) — Difference in latitudes
\( \Delta\lambda \) — Difference in longitudes
\( R \) — Earth's radius (3440.065 nautical miles)
\( Ground\ Speed \) — Aircraft speed relative to ground in knots

Explanation: The Haversine formula calculates the great-circle distance between two points on a sphere, providing the shortest path between airports.

3. Importance of Flight Time Calculation

Details: Accurate flight time estimation is crucial for flight planning, fuel calculation, scheduling, and ensuring safe and efficient air travel operations.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter departure and arrival airport coordinates in decimal degrees, and ground speed in knots. Ensure coordinates are valid (latitude: -90 to 90, longitude: -180 to 180, ground speed > 0).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is great-circle distance?
A: Great-circle distance is the shortest distance between two points on the surface of a sphere, following the curvature of the Earth.

Q2: How does wind affect flight time?
A: Headwinds increase flight time, tailwinds decrease it. Ground speed already accounts for wind effects in this calculation.

Q3: What is the difference between airspeed and ground speed?
A: Airspeed is speed relative to air, ground speed is speed relative to ground. This calculator uses ground speed which includes wind effects.

Q4: Why use nautical miles and knots?
A: These are standard aviation units. 1 nautical mile = 1.852 km, 1 knot = 1 nautical mile per hour.

Q5: Does this account for takeoff, landing, and taxi time?
A: No, this calculates only the en-route flight time. Add additional time for airport operations as needed.