Aviation Calcs

Zulu time

Zulu Time Converter

Convert a local civil time to UTC (Zulu) or the other way around, with daylight-saving time applied for the date and time zone you choose. A live Zulu clock runs at the top, and the flight-plan box adds an ETE to a departure to give an arrival in Zulu and in the destination’s local time. Results update as you type.

Current Zulu time

— Z

From this device’s clock

Convert a date and time

Aviation uses UTC, written as Zulu. Pick a U.S. or world zone, or UTC itself. The offset and the abbreviation (EDT, PST, and so on) follow the date, including daylight-saving rules for that zone.

Flight-plan ETA
Departure is in

The departure date is the same date as the converter above. ETE can be hours:minutes, the flight-plan “5+15” form, a decimal number of hours, or a number of minutes with an “m”.

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Local time and Zulu

Zulu time is Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Aviation uses it so that a flight plan, a TAF, and a clearance do not depend on whose local clock you are looking at. The usual written form is a four-digit clock with a Z: 1430Z is 14:30 UTC, which is 10:30 in New York in July (EDT, UTC−4) and 06:30 in Los Angeles (PDT, UTC−7).

The offset is not fixed. Most of the United States springs forward on the second Sunday in March and falls back on the first Sunday in November; Arizona (outside the Navajo Nation) and Hawaii do not. Europe, Australia, and others have their own rules. This page reads the IANA zone (America/New_York, America/Phoenix, and so on) through the browser, so the offset is the one that actually applies on the date you type.

Flight-plan ETAs

A flight-plan departure or a time over a fix is filed in Zulu. Convert the local departure, add the estimated time en route, and you have the arrival (or time at a fix) in Zulu. This page also shows that arrival on the destination’s local clock, including a date change when the flight crosses midnight UTC or a time-zone boundary. For sunrise, sunset, and FAA night definitions at an airport, see the sunrise, sunset, and FAA night calculator.

Worked example

Depart at 14:30Z on 1 July 2024, ETE 5 hours 15 minutes, destination on Pacific time:

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert local time to Zulu (UTC)?

Apply the time-zone offset for that date, including daylight-saving time. 12:00 EDT is 16:00Z; 12:00 EST is 17:00Z. This page does that from the zone and date you enter.

Does the converter handle daylight saving time?

Yes, through IANA time zones. Always include a date. Arizona and Hawaii do not observe DST.

How do I write a flight-plan time in Zulu?

Four digits and a Z: 1430Z. Convert a local departure, add the ETE, and report the result in Zulu.

What is the current Zulu time?

The clock on this page is current UTC from your device. For operations, use an official time source or your avionics.