Flight Time Estimator

Calculates estimated flight time between two airports using:

• Great circle distance
• Current winds aloft forecast (from NOAA Aviation Weather)
• True airspeed at cruise altitude

Usage

~/clawd/skills/flight-time/scripts/flight_time.py KDEP KARR --altitude FEET --tas KNOTS

Examples

# Huntsville to Atlanta at 6000ft, 140kt TAS
flight_time.py KHSV KFTY --altitude 6000 --tas 140

# Dallas to Denver at 10000ft, 165kt TAS
flight_time.py KDAL KDEN --altitude 10000 --tas 165

# JSON output for scripting
flight_time.py KHSV KFTY --altitude 6000 --tas 140 --json

Parameters

• departure: ICAO code (e.g., KHSV)
• arrival: ICAO code (e.g., KFTY)
• --altitude: Cruise altitude in feet MSL
• --tas: True airspeed in knots
• --json: Output as JSON (optional)

Output

Returns:

• Distance (nm)
• True course
• Winds at altitude (from nearest FB station)
• Ground speed
• Estimated flight time
• Wind effect (headwind/tailwind impact in minutes)

Data Sources

• Airport coordinates: NOAA Aviation Weather API
• Winds aloft: NOAA FB winds forecast (6-hour)

Limitations

• Uses single wind observation at route midpoint (not full route interpolation)
• Does not account for climb/descent phases
• Wind data updates every 6 hours
• No terrain or airspace considerations