Definition
A performance chart in the Pilot's Operating Handbook that shows how much fuel will be burned, how much time will pass, and how many nautical miles will be covered during a climb from one altitude to another under specified conditions. The pilot reads values for the departure altitude and the target cruise altitude, then subtracts the lower from the higher to determine the fuel, time, and distance required for that climb segment.
Plain English
A table or graph in the aircraft manual that tells you, for a planned climb, how much fuel you'll use, how long the climb will take, and how far you'll travel across the ground while climbing.
Context Anchor
Seen in the aircraft performance section of the Pilot’s Operating Handbook or Aircraft Flight Manual when planning the climb from takeoff to cruise altitude.
Why Pilots Care
Provides the data needed to include climb fuel and time in total flight planning so reserves remain adequate and arrival estimates stay accurate.
Intuition Check
Do not treat the chart as a guarantee; it is a planning estimate for the conditions listed on the chart. Also, distance-to-climb means the horizontal distance traveled over the ground during the climb, not the amount of altitude gained.
Example Sentence 1
Before departure, she used the fuel, time, and distance-to-climb chart to determine she would burn 3 gallons and cover 12 nautical miles climbing from the airport elevation to her cruise altitude of 8,000 feet.
Example Sentence 2
Before filing the flight plan the student checked the chart to confirm the climb distance would fit within the available fuel.