Updated October 2026
A small training airplane cruises at about 110 to 140 knots, roughly 125 to 160 mph. Our Cessna 162s do about 110 to 118 knots and our Diamond DA20s about 138. Jet airliners are about four times faster: Boeing lists cruising speeds of 550 to 640 mph for the 767, 737, 777 and 747, and Mach 0.85 for the 787. A trainer lifts off around 55 knots.
Those numbers hide a lot. "How fast" depends on which speed you mean (the one on the airspeed indicator, the one through the air or the one over the ground), on the altitude and on the wind. Below are the real figures for the airplanes on our ramp at Van Nuys, the published numbers for the airliners people usually ask about, and a converter for knots, mph and km/h.
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How Fast Our Training Airplanes Fly (Cessna 162, Warrior, DA20, Cirrus SR22 Turbo)
These are typical cruise speeds for our fleet, taken from the specifications on each airplane's page. Actual speed on a given day depends on weight, altitude, temperature and power setting, and the POH for the specific airplane is the authority.
| Airplane | Tail Numbers | Knots | MPH | Km/H |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna 162 Skycatcher | N60225, N7030B, N6039M, N179LC, N5208V, N52049 | About 110–118 | 127–136 | 204–219 |
| Piper Warrior PA-28-161 | N3034Q, N6312C | About 115–128 | 132–147 | 213–237 |
| Diamond DA20-C1 | N306EF, N308EF | About 138 (75% power) | 159 | 256 |
| Piper Arrow PA-28R | N316EF | About 135 | 155 | 250 |
| Piper Seminole (twin) | N311EF | About 162 | 186 | 300 |
| Cirrus SR22 Turbo | N422SN | About 200–215 at altitude | 230–247 | 370–398 |
Two things stand out. The DA20, with 125 horsepower, outruns the 160-horsepower Warrior, because its long, clean composite wing makes far less drag. Horsepower is only half of speed. And the Cirrus is in a different class: its turbocharger holds engine power as the air thins, so it flies faster the higher it goes, up to its 25,000-foot ceiling.
For comparison with the airplane most people picture as "a small plane," the current production Cessna 172 Skyhawk publishes a maximum cruise of 124 knots true. Our fleet page has every airplane side by side, and the Cirrus SR22 page covers the fastest one in detail.
Takeoff, Climb, Cruise And Landing Speeds Explained
An airplane does not fly at one speed. It uses a different one for every phase of the flight, and most of them are published V-speeds in the POH, measured as indicated airspeed in knots (KIAS). Here is a flight in one of our Piper Warriors, with the typical figures from our Warrior page.
| Phase | Speed | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Lift-off | About 55 KIAS | The wing has enough airflow to carry the airplane |
| Best angle of climb (VX) | 63 KIAS | Most height for the distance covered, for clearing obstacles |
| Best rate of climb (VY) | 79 KIAS | Most height per minute, the normal climb |
| Cruise | About 115–128 KTAS | Level flight at cruise power |
| Best glide | 73 KIAS | Furthest distance per foot of height lost, engine at idle |
| Maximum structural cruising (VNO) | 126 KIAS | Above it, smooth air only |
| Never exceed (VNE) | 160 KIAS | The red line |
| Stall, landing configuration (VSO) | 44 KIAS | Bottom of the white arc |
Landing speed is the one people ask about most. Pilots fly final at the approach speed in the POH for that airplane and weight, and the airplane touches down a little above its stall speed. The FAA's way of grouping airplanes by landing speed, in 14 CFR 97.3, uses 1.3 times VSO when no reference speed is published. For the Warrior's 44 knots that is about 57 knots, which puts it in the slowest group, Category A.
The Cessna 162 is slower at every stage: VX 57 and VY 62 knots, a landing-configuration stall of 37 knots and a never-exceed speed of 148. The Cirrus is faster at every stage. Typical SR22 figures from our Cirrus page are rotation at about 70 knots, a climb at about 101 and a final approach at about 80 to 85 knots with full flaps. In a crosswind or gusts the approach speed goes up a little, which our crosswind landings page explains.
Knots Vs MPH And Why Pilots Use Knots
A knot is one nautical mile per hour. A nautical mile is exactly 1,852 meters, the international definition listed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The FAA's Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge puts one knot at about 1.151 mph. So 100 knots is 115 mph, and the 110 to 118 knots a Cessna 162 cruises at is 127 to 136 mph.
Pilots use knots because the nautical mile is tied to the globe. One minute of latitude is very nearly one nautical mile, so on a sectional chart you can measure a distance against the latitude ticks along the edge and get nautical miles without a ruler. Winds aloft, airspeed indicators in modern airplanes, ATC speed assignments and runway crosswind calculations all use knots, so the whole system adds up without conversions. Some older airplanes have airspeed indicators in mph, which is one more thing to check on a checkout.
To convert, multiply knots by 1.151 for mph, or by 1.852 for kilometers per hour; divide mph by 1.151 to get back to knots. Worked example: a Warrior cruising at 120 knots is doing 120 × 1.151 = 138 mph, or 120 × 1.852 = 222 km/h. A Boeing figure of 580 mph is 580 ÷ 1.151 = about 504 knots. The converter below does the same arithmetic in any direction.
Indicated, True And Ground Speed
The number on the airspeed indicator is not your speed through the air, and neither is your speed over the ground. Three definitions from 14 CFR 1.1 sort it out. Indicated airspeed is what the pitot-static airspeed indicator shows. Calibrated airspeed is indicated corrected for position and instrument error. True airspeed is the speed relative to undisturbed air, and it equals calibrated airspeed only at sea level on a standard day.
The gap between indicated and true grows with altitude, because the indicator measures the push of the air and thinner air pushes less. A rule of thumb from our E6B flight computer guide is that true airspeed rises about 2 percent for every 1,000 feet. A Warrior indicating 110 knots at 4,500 feet is really doing about 118 knots through the air. An airliner at 35,000 feet may indicate under 300 knots while its true airspeed is well over 450.
Groundspeed is true airspeed plus or minus the wind. Fly that Warrior at 118 knots true into a 20-knot headwind and you cover the ground at 98 knots; turn around and it is 138. For airliners crossing the country the effect is large, which is why eastbound flights in the westerlies aloft are usually quicker than the same trip westbound. The airplane's speed through the air never changed.
How Fast Commercial Jets Fly
Here are cruising speeds as the manufacturers publish them. Boeing's history pages list its jets in mph; the 787 is listed as a Mach number, and Airbus gives the A320neo's maximum operating Mach number.
| Airplane | Published Figure | Knots (Approx.) | Km/H (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-100/-200 (original 737) | 580 mph cruising speed | 504 | 933 |
| Boeing 767-200 | 550 mph cruising speed | 478 | 885 |
| Boeing 777-200 | 615 mph cruising speed | 534 | 990 |
| Boeing 747-100/-200 | 640 mph cruising speed | 556 | 1,030 |
| Boeing 787-8 | Mach 0.85 cruise | About 490 at 35,000 ft | About 907 at 35,000 ft |
| Airbus A320neo | Mach 0.82 maximum operating | About 472 at 35,000 ft | About 874 at 35,000 ft |
Jets are usually flown by Mach number up high, and 14 CFR 1.1 defines Mach number as the ratio of true airspeed to the speed of sound. The speed of sound depends on temperature, not pressure. NASA's Glenn Research Center gives about 761 mph (661 knots) at sea level on a standard day. At 35,000 feet in the standard atmosphere the air is about −54°C, and the speed of sound falls to roughly 576 knots, so Mach 0.85 up there works out to about 490 knots, or 564 mph. That conversion is ours; the Mach number is Boeing's.
The heights those jets cruise at, and why, are on our page about how high planes fly.
Takeoff And Landing Speeds Of Airliners
Airliner takeoff and landing speeds are calculated for every flight from the weight, the flap setting, the temperature and the runway, so there is no single number. The certification rules set the floor. Under 14 CFR 25.107, the takeoff safety speed V2 for a twin-engine jet may not be less than 1.13 times its reference stall speed. Under 14 CFR 25.125, the landing reference speed VREF may not be less than 1.23 times the reference stall speed in the landing configuration. A heavy airplane stalls at a higher speed, so it takes off and lands faster.
The FAA also groups every airplane by landing speed for instrument approaches, and the bands are written into 14 CFR 97.3.
| Category | Reference Landing Speed | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| A | Less than 91 knots | Our Warriors, Cessna 162s and DA20s |
| B | 91 to under 121 knots | Many twins and turboprops (varies by type) |
| C | 121 to under 141 knots | Transport-category jets |
| D | 141 to under 166 knots | Transport-category jets |
| E | 166 knots or more | Some military aircraft |
The FAA's Instrument Procedures Handbook refers to "CAT C and CAT D turbine-powered, transport category airplanes," which puts a jet airliner's reference landing speed somewhere between 121 and 165 knots, about two to three times what one of our trainers needs.
Speed Limits Over Los Angeles: 250 Knots, 200 Knots And The Class B
There are speed limits in the sky, and they are in indicated airspeed. 14 CFR 91.117 sets 250 knots (288 mph) below 10,000 feet MSL. Within 4 nautical miles of the primary airport of Class C or Class D airspace, at or below 2,500 feet above the surface, the limit is 200 knots (230 mph) unless ATC says otherwise. The same 200 knots applies under the shelves of a Class B or in a VFR corridor through it.
All three apply around Van Nuys. Our field is Class D, Burbank 11 miles east is Class C, and Van Nuys sits under the shelf of the Los Angeles Class B; our Los Angeles airspace guide maps it. None of our trainers can get anywhere near 200 knots. The business jets departing runway 16R are the ones flying to these limits.
What You Will Feel On A Discovery Flight
Speed in a small airplane feels nothing like speed on a freeway. On the takeoff roll in the Warrior the runway markings blur past and the airspeed needle comes alive. At around 55 knots, about 63 mph, the airplane lifts off with less fuss than most people expect. Then the climb at 79 knots, nose up, the Valley spreading out under the wing.
Level off over the Valley, usually between 1,500 and 3,500 feet on a discovery flight, and the sensation of speed almost disappears. At 110 knots and a couple of thousand feet, the ground slides by slowly. That calm is why a first-timer can take the controls within minutes of takeoff. It is also deceptive: fifteen minutes from the runway the Pacific fills the windshield, and the 60-minute flight gets you there and back.
The standard discovery flight is $229 for 60 minutes in a Piper Warrior, and you fly it from the left seat with an instructor beside you. If speed is the point, the Luxury Cirrus SR22 discovery flight is $499 for one flyer or $599 with a passenger, in the fastest airplane we own. Discovery flights run from 10 AM to 7 PM, every day, and our discovery flights guide walks through what happens on the day.
Related Reading
- Discovery flights in Los Angeles, every option from Van Nuys.
- Cirrus SR22, the turbocharged airplane at the top of our speed table.
- Maneuvering speed explained, the speed that changes with weight.
- How high do planes fly, the companion page on altitude.
- What is a discovery flight, the first lesson explained.
How Fast Do Planes Fly FAQ
How Fast Does A Small Plane Fly?
A typical two- or four-seat trainer cruises at about 110 to 140 knots, or 125 to 160 mph. Our Cessna 162s cruise at about 110 to 118 knots, our Piper Warriors at about 115 to 128 and our Diamond DA20s at about 138.
How Fast Do Commercial Planes Fly?
Boeing lists cruising speeds from 550 mph for the 767-200 to 640 mph for the 747-100 and -200, with the 737 at 580 and the 777-200 at 615. The 787 cruises at Mach 0.85, about 564 mph at 35,000 feet.
How Fast Is A Boeing 737?
Boeing's history pages list the original 737-100 and -200 at a cruising speed of 580 mph, about 504 knots. Its best-known rival, the Airbus A320neo, has a maximum operating Mach number of 0.82.
How Fast Does A Plane Go On Takeoff?
A Piper Warrior lifts off at about 55 knots, around 63 mph. Airliner takeoff speeds are calculated for each flight from weight, flaps, temperature and runway. For a twin jet, the rules set the takeoff safety speed at no less than 1.13 times the reference stall speed.
Why Do Pilots Use Knots Instead Of MPH?
A knot is one nautical mile per hour, and a nautical mile is very nearly one minute of latitude, so distances on aeronautical charts, winds aloft and air traffic control speeds all line up. One knot is about 1.151 mph or exactly 1.852 km/h.
Is There A Speed Limit For Airplanes?
Yes. Under 14 CFR 91.117 the limit is 250 knots indicated below 10,000 feet MSL. It drops to 200 knots near the primary airport of Class C or D airspace at or below 2,500 feet above the surface, and beneath Class B shelves.
How Fast Will I Fly On A Discovery Flight?
In our Piper Warrior you lift off at about 55 knots, climb at 79 knots and cruise over the Valley at around 110 knots, usually between 1,500 and 3,500 feet. Fifteen minutes after takeoff you can be over the Pacific.
Find Out What 110 Knots Feels Like
The numbers on this page make sense the moment you see the airspeed needle move with your own hand on the throttle. Book a discovery flight, $229 for 60 minutes in a Piper Warrior from Van Nuys, credited in full toward training if you enroll within 24 hours. If you are already thinking about a private pilot license, book a free consultation and we will show you what the Standard $10,400 package includes and how the hours add up.
Book A Discovery Flight — $229 Book A Free Consultation Call (818) 330-1318
