Plain English Meaning

A runway that tilts uphill as you land on it. Because it slopes up toward you, your eyes are tricked into thinking you are too high, so you tend to come in too low.

Full Definition

A runway whose surface rises in elevation along the direction of landing, so the far end is higher than the approach end. On final approach, an upsloping runway creates the visual illusion that the aircraft is higher than it actually is, prompting the pilot to fly a lower-than-normal approach.

Context Anchor

Seen in instrument flying and visual approach discussions, especially when learning about runway slope optical illusions.