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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/pilot-tailwind-landing-distance

What does a tailwind do to landing distance?

A tailwind increases landing distance.

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  1. It increases landing distance ✔
  2. It shortens landing distance
  3. It changes only indicated airspeed

Why: The airplane lands at its required airspeed, so a tailwind raises touchdown groundspeed. More groundspeed means more distance is needed to stop.

Huh, didn't know that: The PHAK says a 10-knot tailwind increases landing distance about 21 percent in its general example.

The dad joke
A tailwind helps you arrive faster, then sends the brakes the bill.
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References

Answer: It increases landing distance. The airplane lands at its required airspeed, so a tailwind raises touchdown groundspeed. More groundspeed means more distance is needed to stop.

  1. FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 11 www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/13_phak_ch11.pdf
    A tail wind of ten knots increases the landing distance by about 21 percent.
    Checked 2026-10-09.

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