How to Convert Land Miles to Air Miles

Even though both a car and an airplane can get you from New York to San Diego, you will be traveling slightly different distances depending on the type of transportation you choose. Land miles, formerly known as statute miles, are slightly longer than air miles, which is the same as nautical miles. Even though it may seem confusing, you can convert land miles to air miles with a few simple calculations.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Convert land miles to feet. One mile is equal to 5,280 feet. Multiply the number of miles by the number of feet in one mile to get your answer. For instance, 10 land miles would be 52,800 feet, or 10 multiplied by 5,280.

2. Convert your measurement to air miles. One air mile is equal to 6,076 feet. Divide the number of feet in your land miles by 6,076 to calculate the distance in air miles. For example, 52,800 feet divided by 6,076 feet equals 8.7 air miles.

3. Rather than converting the measurement to feet, take a shortcut. One land mile is equal to approximately 0.87 air miles. Convert land miles to air miles directly by multiplying the number of land miles by 0.87 to get the number of air miles.