Definition
The airspeed at which an airplane gains the most altitude in the shortest amount of time, commonly written as V Y. It produces the greatest altitude gain per unit of time, not per unit of distance.
Plain English
The speed that gets you up to a desired altitude in the least amount of time.
Context Anchor
Seen during climb procedures, especially after takeoff when the pilot wants to gain altitude efficiently.
Why Pilots Care
Reaching a safe altitude quickly improves terrain clearance, weather avoidance, and traffic separation options.
Intuition Check
Best rate of climb does not mean the steepest climb path over the ground. It means the fastest altitude gain over time.
Example Sentence 1
After lift-off and a positive rate of climb, the pilot pitched for best rate of climb and held that speed until reaching pattern altitude.
Example Sentence 2
At higher density altitudes the best rate of climb speed increases slightly to maintain the maximum vertical speed.