Climb Gradient Calculator
Convert a required climb gradient (ft/nm or %) into the feet-per-minute you need to fly at your ground speed — and between ft/nm and percent.
Required climb gradient
Gradient
200 ft/nm
Gradient
3.29%
Required climb rate
300 fpm
Departure procedures publish a minimum climb gradient in ft/nm; your VSI reads fpm. Required fpm rises with ground speed, so a tailwind or higher true airspeed demands a steeper climb rate to hold the same gradient.
How this works
Instrument departures publish a minimum climb gradient in feet per nautical mile; your VSI shows a climb rate in feet per minute. They relate through ground speed:
Required fpm = gradient (ft/nm) × ground speed (kt) ÷ 60.
And 1% = 60.76 ft/nm (1% of the 6,076 ft in a nautical mile). Because the conversion uses ground speed, a tailwind or a higher true airspeed at altitude increases the fpm needed to hold the same published gradient.
For reference and training only. Not for navigation or flight planning — always verify against official current sources.