Definition
A performance chart presented in tabular (row-and-column) form that shows the landing ground roll and total distance required to clear a 50-foot obstacle for a given aircraft, based on combinations of weight, pressure altitude, temperature, wind, and runway condition. It is published in the aircraft's Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) or Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) and is used during preflight planning to determine whether the available runway is adequate for landing.
Plain English
A table in the aircraft's handbook that tells you how much runway you'll need to land, based on conditions like weight, altitude, temperature, and wind.
Context Anchor
Seen in the Landing Charts section of aircraft performance planning, usually before a flight when checking whether the destination runway is long enough.
Why Pilots Care
Allows pilots to verify that the chosen runway is long enough to stop safely and avoid runway overruns.
Intuition Check
Do not treat the landing distance table as a promise that the airplane will always stop in exactly that distance. It is a planning tool based on stated conditions and proper technique; real landings need a safety margin.
Example Sentence 1
Before departing for the mountain strip, she pulled out the landing distance table and confirmed the runway was long enough at the expected weight and temperature.
Example Sentence 2
The landing distance table showed an extra 400 feet needed because of the higher temperature and our takeoff weight.