Definition
The specific airspeed the pilot intends to establish and maintain during the climb after liftoff, selected from the Pilot's Operating Handbook for the conditions and phase of flight (for example, Vy for best rate of climb or Vx for best angle of climb).
Plain English
The airspeed the pilot is aiming for during the climb, chosen ahead of time based on what the climb needs to achieve.
Context Anchor
You see this during takeoff and liftoff discussions, especially when the pilot adjusts pitch after leaving the runway to establish the climb.
Why Pilots Care
Holding this speed prevents the airplane from settling back toward the runway or obstacles and produces predictable climb performance.
Intuition Check
“Desired” does not mean any speed the pilot happens to prefer. Here it means the planned target speed for that climb, chosen from the airplane’s guidance and the situation.
Example Sentence 1
After liftoff, the pilot allowed the airplane to accelerate to the desired climb speed before establishing a steady pitch attitude.
Example Sentence 2
Once the gear is up the pilot trims to hold the desired climb speed while monitoring the airspeed indicator.