Digital E6B Flight Computer
A mobile-friendly digital version of the E6B “whiz wheel” — the circular slide rule pilots have used for flight planning since World War II. Eight tabs cover all the core E6B functions: time-speed-distance, fuel planning, true airspeed, wind correction, density altitude, altitude conversions, unit conversions, and off-course correction.
About the E6B Flight Computer
The E6B has been used by pilots since World War II. Originally a hand-held circular slide rule, it solves problems in time-speed-distance, fuel planning, wind correction, density altitude, and more. This digital version replicates all of its core functions in a mobile-friendly interface.
Student pilots studying for the FAA Private Pilot knowledge exam will find every E6B-type question on the exam covered by the tabs above. Many flight schools still require learning the physical E6B first — this tool helps you verify your answers.
Frequently Asked Questions
This calculator is for educational and planning purposes only. Always refer to your aircraft's POH/AFM, current NOTAMs, and official weather briefings. No calculator is a substitute for pilot-in-command judgment or CFI guidance. Read our full Safety Disclaimer.
Last reviewed: July 2026
The E6B Flight Computer in Depth
The E6B is the classic mechanical flight computer that generations of pilots have used to solve the everyday arithmetic of flight: time, speed, and distance; fuel burn; true airspeed and density altitude; and the wind triangle. This calculator reproduces those functions digitally, letting you work the same problems quickly while understanding what each answer means. Learning the E6B is a rite of passage precisely because it forces you to see how the variables of flight relate.
Although modern avionics compute many of these values automatically, the reasoning the E6B teaches never goes out of date. When a GPS fails or a planning question arises on the ground, a pilot who understands the underlying relationships can still produce a reliable answer. This tool is therefore both a practical calculator and a way to build the mental models that make you a more capable navigator.
Step-by-Step: How the Calculation Works
The E6B combines two kinds of computation. The circular slide-rule side handles proportional problems — time-speed-distance, fuel burn, and unit conversions — by lining up ratios, so that setting speed against time immediately reveals distance. The wind side solves the vector triangle relating true airspeed, heading, wind, groundspeed, and track, which is the heart of dead-reckoning navigation.
This calculator applies the same relationships numerically. For a speed problem it multiplies or divides the known quantities; for a wind problem it resolves the wind into head/tail and crosswind components relative to your course and returns groundspeed and correction angle. Understanding which side of the traditional E6B a problem belongs to makes it clear which inputs the digital version needs.
More Worked Examples
Example 1 — Time from speed and distance
You have 90 nautical miles to run at a 120-knot groundspeed. The proportional relationship gives time = distance / speed = 90 / 120 hour, or 45 minutes. The same setup, rearranged, would give the groundspeed needed to cover the distance in a target time.
Example 2 — Wind triangle
True airspeed 130 knots on a course of 090°, wind from 040° at 25 knots. Resolving the wind gives a headwind component that lowers groundspeed and a crosswind component that sets a correction angle of several degrees left. The calculator returns both the groundspeed to use for timing and the heading to fly to hold the course.
Pilot Decision-Making Context
The value of E6B fluency shows up when plans change in flight. A reroute, an unexpected wind, or a fuel question can all be answered in seconds by someone comfortable with these relationships, keeping the pilot ahead of the aircraft rather than buried in the avionics. It is a backup that never loses power and never loses signal.
On the ground, the E6B is a planning workhorse: converting a forecast wind into expected groundspeeds leg by leg, checking a fuel plan, or confirming a true airspeed from indicated airspeed and density altitude. Using it deliberately during planning builds the fluency that pays off when the same problem appears unexpectedly aloft.
More Questions Answered
Do I still need to learn the E6B if my aircraft has GPS?
Yes. It teaches the relationships behind navigation and fuel planning and serves as a reliable backup when electronic systems fail or disagree with reality.
What is the difference between the two sides of the E6B?
One side is a circular slide rule for proportional problems like time-speed-distance and fuel burn; the other solves the wind triangle relating airspeed, wind, heading, and groundspeed.
Can the E6B convert units?
Yes. It handles common aviation conversions such as nautical to statute miles, gallons to pounds of fuel, and Celsius to Fahrenheit, all through the same proportional scales.
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