Pilots typically provide passengers with an airplane's airspeed in miles per hour. However, when they communicate with air-traffic controllers, they give the speed in nautical miles per hour, or knots. You can convert airspeed to knots with a quick calculation. One knot equals 0.869 mph. Multiply the airspeed in miles per hour by this number to find the airspeed in knots. For example, an airliner's cruising speed is about 570 miles per hour. This is equivalent to an airspeed of about 495 knots.
Instructions
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1
Turn on the calculator and enter the airplane's speed in miles per hour.
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2
Press the multiplication key.
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Enter 0.869.
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4
The answer is the plane's speed in knots.