What is Actual Landing Distance?

• A. The distance from touchdown to stop including braking and reverse thrust.
• B. The maximum permitted landing distance under standard conditions.
• C. The actual landing distance without the use of ground deceleration devices. There's no safety margin and is the best performance number.
• D. The distance required for takeoff roll.

Answer: (C)

Actual Landing Distance is the distance from the moment the main landing gear touches down on the runway to the point the airplane comes to a complete stop, including the use of braking and any reverse thrust or other ground deceleration devices. This represents the real, measured distance needed under the actual conditions (weight, runway surface, braking action, wind, etc.) and is the figure pilots use for performance planning and safety margins. It is not the maximum permitted distance under standard conditions—that would be a separate published limit, not the actual stopping distance you achieve. It also isn’t the distance without ground deceleration devices or a “best” performance number—omitting braking or reversers would not yield the actual stopping distance, and would not reflect safe operation. Finally, it isn’t the takeoff roll, which is a different phase with its own distance measurement.