Definition
The runway lengths required for an aircraft to safely become airborne after takeoff roll, and to come to a full stop after touchdown, calculated for the specific conditions of a planned flight. These values are derived from the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) or Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM) using inputs such as aircraft weight, pressure altitude, temperature, wind, runway surface, and runway slope.
Plain English
How much runway you need to get off the ground when you take off, and how much runway you need to stop after you land, given the conditions on the day.
Context Anchor
Used during preflight planning when checking whether the departure airport, destination, and any planned alternate have enough usable runway for the aircraft.
Why Pilots Care
These distances must be compared to the actual runway lengths available; exceeding them risks runway overruns, insufficient climb performance, or inability to clear obstacles.
Intuition Check
Do not assume this means the full runway length. Here, takeoff and landing distances mean the runway your aircraft needs, not simply the runway that is available.
Example Sentence 1
During preflight, the pilot calculated takeoff and landing distances for the loaded weight and forecast temperature, then confirmed both runways were long enough with adequate margin.
Example Sentence 2
Landing distance available at the destination exceeded the calculated requirement even with a tailwind.