Skip to main content
Aviation glossary

Landing Distance

What is landing distance?

FAA handbook figure illustrating landing distance

Landing distance is the runway length an airplane needs to land and stop, often shown on a performance chart that factors in outside air temperature, aircraft weight, wind component, and obstacle height. A related term, Landing Distance Available (LDA), is the length of runway officially declared available and suitable for the ground run during landing. Think of it as the "how much pavement do I need" number versus LDA, the "how much pavement do I have."

Also known as: LDA <-> Landing Distance Available

Studying for an FAA written test?

Terms like landing distance show up on the FAA knowledge test. Study them in context with ACS-aligned practice questions, AI explanations, and the cited FAA handbook reference behind every answer — free to start.

Learn more in the library

Related terms

Browse the full glossary →