Glide Performance

If the engine quits, how far can you go? An aircraft's glide ratio turns altitude into distance — the number every pilot has memorized.

Glide PerformanceLive

how far from how high

Controls

Presets

Glide ratio (L/D)

Altitude (m)

Airspeed (m/s)

An unpowered aircraft trades height for distance. Its glide ratio, L/D, is exactly how many meters forward it travels per meter of descent — a modern glider does 50:1. The shallow glide angle is set only by L/D, not weight, while the sink rate and time aloft depend on speed. Vital knowledge after an engine failure.

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Data Inspector

Glide range15.0 km

Glide angle3.8°

Sink rate2.0 m/s

Time aloft8.3 min

Governing equation

γ = arctan \frac{1}{L / D} = arctan \frac{1}{15} = 3. 8^{\circ}, v_{s} = \frac{V}{L / D} = 2.0 m/s

Reading this result: Glide angle depends only on L/D, so the range scales straight with altitude; speed changes how fast you sink and how long you stay up, but not how far you reach.

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How it works

Glide ratio (L/D) is the horizontal distance traveled per unit of altitude lost — 50:1 for a modern sailplane, about 17:1 for an airliner with engines out. The glide angle depends only on L/D, not weight, while sink rate and time aloft scale with airspeed. The same physics governs energy-efficient flight and emergency landings.

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Frequently asked questions

Is this glide ratio calculator tool really free?▾

Yes. Glide Performance runs entirely in your browser using your device's own compute, so local use is free forever. You only pay Compute Tokens if you scale a job to the cloud.

Do I need to install anything?▾

No. Everything runs client-side in a modern browser — no downloads, no license, no account required to start.

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How accurate are the results?▾

The solver uses established numerical methods, but results are for research and educational purposes and should be validated against experiment or professional review before you rely on them.