FLIGHT OPERATIONS

ENGINEERING COURSE

LANDING PERFORMANCE

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INDEX

1 LANDING PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS 3

1.1 LANDING DISTANCE REQUIREMENTS (JAR/FAR 25.125) 3

1.2 FIELD LENGTH LIMITED LANDING WEIGHT (FAR 121.195 / JAR-OPS 1.515) 3

1.3 CLIMB LIMITED LANDING WEIGHT 5

1.3.1 APPROACH CLIMB CONFIGURATION (JAR/FAR 25.121(D)) 5

1.3.2 LANDING CLIMB CONFIGURATION (JAR/FAR 25.119) 5

1.4 WIND CORRECTIONS 6

1.6 QUICK TURN AROUND WEIGHT 6

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ENGINEERING COURSE

1 LANDING PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

1.1 LANDING DISTANCE REQUIREMENTS (JAR/FAR 25.125)

The Unfactored Landing Distance is the total horizontal distance from the runway
threshold until the point where the aircraft comes to a complete stop, considering that,
after a stabilized approach, it crosses the runway threshold at a height of 50 ft and at the
landing reference speed VREF.
The unfactored landing distance must be determined with the aircraft in landing
configuration for each weight, altitude and winds within the operational limits and
considering ISA temperature.
Maximum braking capability and ground spoilers are used for calculating the landing
distance, but no reverse thrust credit is allowed.
During the aircraft certification flight tests, the unfactored landing distance is demonstrated
as follows:
• Airplane in landing configuration;
• Airplane crosses the runway threshold at a height of 50 ft and at the landing
reference speed VREF (not less than 1.3VS).
• Non excessive vertical acceleration (Vertical Speed of 6 fps / 3 deg glide);
• Zero slope, smooth, dry, hard surfaced runway;

1.2 FIELD LENGTH LIMITED LANDING WEIGHT (FAR 121.195 / JAR-OPS 1.515)
Landing Field Length regulations require that the landing distance on a dry runway, based
on the landing weight assuming normal fuel consumption, must not exceed 60% of the
available landing distance.
There is another way of interpreting this requirement: given a certain unfactored landing
distance, the required landing distance or dry runway factored distance is equal to
this value multiplied by 1.667 (1/60% = 1.667). The available landing distance must not be
less than the required landing distance.
The Field Length Limited Landing Weight is the maximum weight at which the aircraft is
capable of landing in 60% of the available runway length.

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VREF DRY RUNWAY

50 ft

Unfactored Landing Distance

Required Landing Distance = 1.667 x Unfactored Landing Distance

FAR-121.195 and JAR-OPS-1.520 state that in case appropriate weather reports or

forecast indicate that the runway at the estimated time of arrival may be wet, the landing
distance available is at least 115% of the required landing distance, defined in accordance
with FAR-121.195 and JAR-OPS-1.515.
Therefore, for wet runways, since the dry runway factored distance is the unfactored
landing distance multiplied by 1.667, the wet runway factored distance is the unfactored
landing distance multiplied by 1.917 (1.667 x 115% = 1.917).

VREF WET RUNWAY

50 ft

Unfactored Landing Distance

Dry Factored Distance = 1.667 x Unfactored Landing Distance 15%

Wet Factored Distance = 1.917 x Unfactored Landing Distance

Note: For landing performance, thrust reverser effect is not taken into consideration.

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1.3 CLIMB LIMITED LANDING WEIGHT

In case of a go-around in approach climb configuration or in landing climb configuration,
certain minimum climb gradients are required by regulations. The maximum aircraft
weight that complies with these gradient requirements is called the Approach Climb
Limited Weight and Landing Climb Limited Weight. For performance calculations, the
approach climb configuration and landing climb configurations are defined below:

1.3.1 APPROACH CLIMB CONFIGURATION (JAR/FAR 25.121(D))

• one engine inoperative
• go-around thrust on remaining engines
• approach flaps
• landing gear up
• speed equal to the approach climb speed (VAPPCLB or VGA)

1.3.2 LANDING CLIMB CONFIGURATION (JAR/FAR 25.119)

• all engines operative
• go-around thrust on all engines
• landing flaps
• landing gear down
• speed equal to the landing climb speed (VLDGCLB, usually equal to VREF)

APPROACH CLIMB

LANDING CLIMB

VREF

50 ft

The minimum climb gradients and the aircraft configuration are given in the table below:
Configuration Minimum Gradients
Max Number of engines
Gear Flap Thrust
Speed 2 3 4
1 engine inoperative
Approach Approach
up GA Thrust on 1.5 Vs 2.1% 2.4% 2.7%
Climb position
remaining engines (*) (*)
Landing Landing GA Thrust on all
down 1.3 Vs 3.2% 3.2% 3.2%
Climb position engines

(*) - For JAA certified aircraft, as per JAR-AWO 243, the minimum gradient required for go-around
(approach climb) during a CAT II approach is 2.5%.

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1.4 WIND CORRECTIONS

Field Length Limited and Quick Turn Around weights are affected by wind, as explained:

• Headwinds improve landing performance due to the smaller distances required

for aircraft deceleration and lower ground speeds;
• Tailwinds degrade the landing performance due to the greater deceleration
distances and higher ground speeds.
JAR/FAR 25.125 require that the AFM charts must be developed considering only 50% of
the reported headwind and 150% of the reported tailwind. This is to guarantee appropriate
performance margins in case the actual headwind is weaker than the reported one, or if
the actual tailwind is stronger than the reported one.

The ECAFM already incorporate these wind adjustments, so that no additional corrections
need to be made.

1.5 MAXIMUM LANDING WEIGHT

The Maximum Landing Weight is the lower of these four limiting weights:
• Structural Landing Weight;
• Field Length;
• Approach Climb Gradient;
• Landing Climb Gradient.

1.6 QUICK TURN AROUND WEIGHT

The Quick Turn Around Weight (QTAW) is not a landing limiting weight. It is just a
reference weight to define if a brake cooling period is required before a subsequent
takeoff.
During landing the brakes are used and consequently their temperature increases. The
peak brake temperature usually doesn’t occur during the landing itself, but a few minutes
after.

The Quick Turn Around Weight (QTAW) is a reference weight at which it is known that if
the aircraft lands at a weight lighter than the QTAW the brakes will not become
overheated and enough energy margin for a rejected takeoff subsequent to the landing is
available. If the aircraft lands at a weight heavier than the QTAW, a cooling period is
required and a subsequent takeoff is only allowed after the cooling period is expired and
tire fuse plugs are checked not melted.
The Quick Turn Around Weight is calculated based on:
• Maximum Manual Braking
• Idle Thrust (no Reverse Thrust credit is taken)
• Speed Brakes extended
Usually the QTAW is a conservative reference, because the conditions above are not
typical of a normal landing, where normal braking is used and reverse thrust is deployed.
With BTMS the pilot can monitor the actual brake temperature, and a subsequent takeoff
is allowed provided the brakes temperature are in the normal (green) range.

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