Takeoff Distance Calculator
Estimate takeoff ground roll and distance to clear a 50 ft obstacle, corrected for altitude, temperature, weight, wind, slope, and surface type.
Inputs
C172S: 960 ft, C182T: 795 ft, PA-28-181: 870 ft
Results
Takeoff Ground Roll
1,800 ft
≈ 6 football fields
Distance to Clear 50 ft
2,700 ft
≈ 9 football fields
How to Use This Calculator
- Look up the base takeoff ground roll from your POH at sea level, standard temp.
- Enter current pressure altitude, temperature, and wind.
- Enter your actual gross weight from the Weight & Balance calculator.
- The result must be less than available runway length. Apply a safety margin.
How the result changes with POH Reference Weight
| POH Reference Weight | Takeoff Ground Roll | Distance to Clear 50 ft |
|---|---|---|
| 2,550 | 907 ft | 1,360 ft |
| 2,550 | 1,983 ft | 2,975 ft |
| 2,550 | 1,737 ft | 2,606 ft |
What each input means
- POH Base Ground Roll
- Ground roll at sea level, standard temp, max gross, no wind from your POH.
- Pressure Altitude
- Use the Pressure Altitude calculator or set altimeter to 29.92.
- Outside Air Temperature
- Current OAT at the airport.
- Headwind Component
- Headwind component along the runway. Use the Crosswind calculator to determine.
- Tailwind Component
- Tailwind component. Most POHs limit tailwind to 10 kt for takeoff.
- Gross Weight
- Actual takeoff weight. Use the Weight & Balance calculator.
- POH Reference Weight
- Max gross weight the POH base distance is charted at.
- Runway Slope (uphill)
- Positive = uphill takeoff. Most runways are 0–2%. Found in Chart Supplement.
- Runway Surface
- Grass adds ~20–30% to takeoff distance.
What each result means
- Takeoff Ground Roll
- Estimated distance to liftoff.
- Distance to Clear 50 ft
- Approximate total distance including climb to 50 ft AGL.
- With 50% Safety Margin
- Many flight instructors recommend having 150% of calculated distance available.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Base Takeoff Ground RollFrom POH at sea level, standard temp, max gross, no wind960 ft = 960 ft
- Altitude CorrectionFactor = 1 + 10% per 1,000 ft PA1 + 0.10 × (5,000 ÷ 1000) = ×1.50
- Temperature CorrectionFactor = 1 + 10% per 10°C above ISA1 + 0.10 × (25.0 ÷ 10) = ×1.25
- Weight CorrectionFactor = (Actual Weight ÷ Reference Weight)²(2,550 ÷ 2,550)² = ×1.00
- Wind CorrectionNo windCalm = ×1.00
- Corrected Takeoff Ground RollBase × All Factors960 × 1.50 × 1.25 × 1.00 × 1.00 × 1.00 × 1.0 = 1,800 ft
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