Definition
Performance charts published by the aircraft manufacturer that show the runway distance required to land the airplane under specified conditions. They typically account for pressure altitude, temperature, aircraft weight, headwind or tailwind component, runway slope, and runway surface, and may present both the ground roll distance and the total distance required to land over a 50-foot obstacle.
Plain English
Tables or graphs in the aircraft's manual that tell the pilot how much runway will be needed to land safely on a given day, based on weather, weight, and runway conditions.
Context Anchor
Seen during preflight planning and before landing when checking whether the available runway is long enough for the airplane and conditions.
Why Pilots Care
They allow pilots to verify that available runway meets or exceeds requirements, preventing runway overruns and supporting safe go/no-go decisions.
Grounding Statement
A landing chart turns the day’s conditions into a practical runway-distance estimate.
Intuition Check
Do not read “landing charts” as airport maps or diagrams of landing areas. In this context, they are performance tools used to estimate landing distance.
Example Sentence 1
Before departing for the short mountain strip, the pilot consulted the landing charts using the forecast temperature and field elevation to confirm adequate runway length.
Example Sentence 2
With a strong headwind, the landing charts showed a significantly shorter required distance than the no-wind value.