Numerical

Speed, Distance and Time

Convert between ground speed, distance and time the way you would in the cruise. Given any two, find the third, fast and without a calculator.

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About this test

What this test measures

This measures applied numerical reasoning with the speed, distance and time relationship that underpins every navigation problem. It is the single most useful piece of mental maths a pilot owns, since groundspeed, ETA and fuel all flow from it.

How to improve your score

Memorise the triangle, distance equals speed times time, and rearrange it instantly rather than re-deriving it each time.
Get fluent with the 60 rule: at 60 knots you cover a mile a minute, then scale from there.
Always sanity-check the unit and the order of magnitude before trusting the number.

Good to know

The 60-to-1 shortcut

Distance in nautical miles equals ground speed in knots times minutes, divided by 60. At 420 kt for 20 minutes that is 420 x 20 / 60 = 140 NM. Learning this one line solves most legs without long division.

Keep your units honest

Most marks are lost to mismatched units, not arithmetic. Decide up front whether you are working in minutes or hours, and write the unit next to each number. Values are usually chosen so the answer comes out clean.

Frequently asked questions

What is the key formula?

Distance = speed x time. Rearrange for whichever value is missing, and keep your units consistent (knots, nautical miles, minutes or hours).

How do I handle minutes?

A handy trick: distance in NM equals ground speed in knots multiplied by minutes, divided by 60. Many real questions are built around clean numbers.

Is this like the real selection maths?

Yes. Speed, distance and time problems appear across pilot numerical tests and in the ATPL General Navigation and Flight Planning subjects.

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