Definition
The estimated time required to fly from one specified point to another, expressed in hours and minutes. In ICAO flight plans, it is filed as the time from takeoff to a designated point such as a reporting fix or destination, based on forecast winds and planned cruise speed.
Plain English
How long the pilot expects the flight, or a leg of the flight, to take from one point to another.
Context Anchor
Seen on flight plans, route planning forms, and communications where a pilot or controller needs to know the expected time between points.
Derivation
Estimated means calculated or judged in advance. Elapsed comes from an older word meaning “to slip away” or “pass by.” Together, the phrase points to time that is expected to pass during the flight between two places.
Why Pilots Care
Accurate EET supports fuel calculations, search-and-rescue timing if the aircraft becomes overdue, and ATC sequencing expectations.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as the clock time of arrival. It is the amount of time expected to pass during the flight or route segment.
Example Sentence 1
The pilot entered an estimated elapsed time of two hours and fifteen minutes from departure to the destination on the ICAO flight plan.
Example Sentence 2
When queried by center, the pilot reported the estimated elapsed time to the next waypoint as forty-five minutes.