Flight Computer
Free online tool from PilotMall
E6B Flight Computer
The classic E6B a private pilot reaches for, now free and online. Works on any device, even offline.
The PilotMall E6B Flight Computer is a free online version of the classic E6B that private pilots use for VFR flight planning. Run it in any browser on your phone, tablet, or laptop, with no app to install and no sign in. It performs the same core calculations as a handheld electronic E6B, from density altitude and true airspeed to the wind triangle, weight and balance, and unit conversions. Planning a full cross-country flight? Use the free VFR Navigation Log to build your route leg by leg.
What this flight computer calculates
- Density altitude and pressure altitude
- True airspeed (TAS)
- True altitude (cold-temperature correction)
- Wind correction angle, heading, and ground speed
- Winds aloft from heading and track
- Crosswind and headwind components
- Time, speed, and distance with ETA
- True, magnetic, and compass heading
- Required rate of climb
- Top of descent
- Glide range
- Fuel burn, endurance, and fuel weight
- Weight and balance with CG limits
- Cloud base and standard (ISA) temperature
- Unit conversions (distance, speed, volume, fuel, weight, pressure, temperature, time)
Frequently asked questions
Is the PilotMall E6B flight computer free?
Yes. It is completely free to use, with no account and no download. It runs in any modern web browser on a phone, tablet, or computer.
Does it work offline?
Once the page has finished loading, the calculations run entirely in your browser, so they keep working even if you lose your connection, for example in a run-up area or a hangar with no wifi.
How accurate is it?
It uses the International Standard Atmosphere and the standard E6B methods, and its results match dedicated handheld flight computers. It is intended for flight planning and training. Always cross-check your approved aircraft data, current weather, and official charts. It is not an approved source of performance data.
What can it calculate?
Density altitude, true airspeed, true altitude, the full wind triangle, crosswind components, time, speed, and distance, headings, climb and descent, glide range, fuel and endurance, weight and balance, cloud base, and unit conversions.
Do I still need a physical E6B for my checkride?
Usually yes. Many knowledge tests and practical exams expect a manual E6B or an approved electronic flight computer, and some testing centers do not allow phones. A dedicated E6B is also more durable in the cockpit.
Which flight computer should I buy?
For training and checkrides, a manual E6B is the standard choice. For fast, button-driven answers, an electronic flight computer is popular, and a rotating plotter pairs well for chart work. Browse the current lineup below.
E6B Flight Computer glossary
Key terms behind what this flight computer calculates.
- International Standard Atmosphere (ISA)
- A reference model of the atmosphere assuming a sea-level temperature of 15 degrees C and pressure of 29.92 inHg, with temperature falling about 2 degrees C per 1,000 feet, and it is the baseline every E6B altitude and airspeed correction is measured against.
- Pressure Altitude (PA)
- Your altitude above the standard 29.92 inHg datum, found by setting the altimeter to 29.92, and it is the starting input for density altitude and true airspeed because aircraft performance follows air pressure, not the local altimeter setting.
- Density Altitude (DA)
- Pressure altitude corrected for nonstandard temperature, that is, the altitude at which the airplane performs as if it were flying, and high density altitude on a hot day cuts engine power, propeller thrust, and lift, which lengthens the takeoff roll and flattens the climb rate.
- Calibrated Airspeed (CAS)
- Indicated airspeed corrected for instrument and static-port (position) error, and it is the airspeed you enter into the E6B to solve for true airspeed.
- True Airspeed (TAS)
- Your actual speed through the air mass, found from calibrated airspeed corrected for pressure altitude and temperature, and because air thins with altitude your TAS normally runs faster than indicated, so it is the speed used for time, fuel, and wind calculations.
- True Altitude
- Your actual height above mean sea level, which differs from indicated altitude in nonstandard temperatures, and in very cold air the airplane is lower than the altimeter shows (cold-temperature error), a real hazard on instrument approaches near terrain.
- Winds Aloft
- The forecast wind direction (in degrees true) and speed at your cruising altitudes, and they are the key input to the wind triangle that determines how far the wind pushes you off course and how it changes your speed over the ground.
- Wind Triangle
- The vector diagram that combines your true airspeed and heading with the wind to solve for ground track and ground speed, and it is the core math behind every heading and time en route the E6B produces for a cross-country.
- Wind Correction Angle (WCA)
- The number of degrees you turn into the wind so the airplane tracks your intended course instead of drifting downwind, and it is applied to true course to produce true heading.
- Ground Speed (GS)
- Your actual speed over the ground after wind is applied to true airspeed, and it is what determines your time en route and fuel required, since a headwind can turn a comfortable reserve into a fuel stop.
- Headwind and Crosswind Components
- The parts of the wind blowing straight down the runway (headwind or tailwind) and straight across it (crosswind), and comparing the crosswind component to your airplane's maximum demonstrated crosswind tells you whether a landing is within your and the aircraft's capability.
- Magnetic Variation
- The angular difference between true north and magnetic north at your location (east or west), applied to convert a true heading measured off the chart into the magnetic heading you fly by compass or heading indicator.
- Compass Deviation
- The small heading error caused by the airplane's own metal and electrical systems pulling on the magnetic compass, read from the placarded correction card and applied last to turn magnetic heading into the compass heading you actually steer.
- Rate of Climb and Top of Descent
- Your vertical speed in feet per minute, and the point at which to begin descending, computed from altitude to lose, ground speed, and desired descent rate, so you reach pattern altitude on a stabilized profile rather than diving at the field.
- Glide Ratio and Range
- How many feet forward the airplane travels per foot of altitude lost with the engine at idle, which converts your height above ground into a gliding distance and tells you whether a chosen field is actually reachable in an engine-out.
- Fuel Burn and Endurance
- Your fuel consumption rate (gallons per hour) and how long the usable fuel on board will last, and pairing endurance with ground speed and required reserves confirms the flight is legal and safe before you take off.
- Weight and Balance / Center of Gravity (CG)
- The airplane's total loaded weight and the point it balances around, found from the weight of fuel, passengers, and baggage times their arms, and the CG must fall inside the manufacturer's envelope or the airplane may be unsafe to control.
