Knot (kt)

A knot is the standard unit of speed used in aviation and maritime operations. One knot equals one nautical mile per hour, or precisely 1.852 kilometers per hour (km/h) or 1.1508 miles per hour (mph).

The abbreviation is kt (plural: kt or kts, depending on regional usage), and it is used in aircraft performance, wind reporting, and navigation.

• Matches the nautical mile, which is based on Earth's latitude/longitude grid
• Simplifies navigation over charts, which are based on geographic coordinates
• Used globally in aircraft manuals, ATIS/METAR, ATC phraseology, and instruments

Knots are used in both Indicated Airspeed (IAS) and True Airspeed (TAS) values, as well as for groundspeed (GS), depending on context.

• “Wind 270 degrees, 15 knots”
• “Reduce speed to 180 knots”
• “Final approach speed is 75 knots, landing runway 09”

• Aviation uses knots and nautical miles to maintain consistency with charts, navigation systems, and procedures
• Speeds in kilometers per hour or miles per hour are not used in standard aviation contexts
• Aircraft manuals, GPS devices, and ATIS broadcasts universally refer to knots

• ✅ Know your aircraft’s key speeds in knots (e.g., Vx, Vy, Vr, Vref)
• ✅ Monitor wind components in knots for takeoff and landing calculations
• ✅ Use LearnATC to practice wind and speed reporting in phraseology exercises