Definition
The airspeed that produces the greatest gain in altitude per unit of time. It is the speed at which the airplane has the most excess power available for climbing, resulting in the highest rate of climb measured in feet per minute.
Plain English
The speed that gets you the most altitude in the shortest amount of time. Fly this speed when you want to climb as quickly as possible.
Context Anchor
You encounter this term in climb performance discussions, aircraft handbooks, and cockpit decisions after takeoff when choosing the climb speed to use.
Why Pilots Care
Using this speed minimizes time spent in the climb, which reduces fuel burn and exposure to terrain or traffic.
Intuition Check
Best rate-of-climb speed does not mean the steepest climb path over the ground. It means the fastest altitude gain per minute.
Example Sentence 1
After liftoff and clear of any obstacles, the pilot pitched for best rate-of-climb speed and headed up toward cruising altitude.
Example Sentence 2
In high-density altitude conditions the pilot still flew best rate-of-climb speed because it provided the fastest altitude gain even though the climb angle was shallow.