Note: As per the latest EASA syllabus, no questions address this learning objective. However, they are still part of the UK CAA syllabus, as also confirmed by recent feedback.

The Point of Safe Return (PSR) is the last point on a route at which it is possible to return to the departure airfield, arriving back with the required fuel reserves still available in the tanks.

The major factor, which affects the distance to PSR, is the wind conditions:

• A headwind or a tailwind would reduce the distance to PSR: A tailwind outbound reduces the average groundspeed for the flight to PSR and back, because the headwind component is always greater than the tailwind when tracks are reciprocal. The same arguments apply for a headwind component outbound. In both cases, the overall effect would be a reduction to the distance to PSR.
• Thus, still air conditions give the greatest distance to PSR.