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Of equal importance to short ground run is the ability to clear obstacles, such as trees, on both take off and landing. For takeoff, large power/weight ratios and low drag result in a high rate of climb required to clear obstacles. For landing high drag allows the airplane to descend steeply to the runway with out building excess speed resulting in a longer ground run. Drag is increased by use of flaps (devices on the wings) and slips (causing the airplane to fly somewhat sideways).

Normally, a STOL plane will have a large wing for its weight. These wings often use aerodynamic devices like flaps, slatsSlats are small lifting surfaces located close to the leading edge of an aeroplane wing which, when extended, postpone the wing stall, allowing the aircraft to fly more slowly. They are usually used while landing or performing manoeuvres which take the ai, and vortex generatorA vortex generator is an aerodynamic surface, basically a small wing, that creates a vortex. They can be found in many devices, but the term is most often used in aircraft design. Vortex generators are added to the front of a swept-wing in order to maintas. Typically, designing an airplane for excellent STOL performance reduces maximum speed, but does not reduce payload lifting ability.

Most STOL planes either landLanding is the last part of a flight where a flying animal or aircraft returns to the ground. Hitting the ground too hard is prevented by wings (including rotor wings), a parachute or rockets or a vertically directed jet engine; in the case of a balloon t in the countryside or on normal airport runways. A STOLPORT is an airport designed with STOL operations in mind, normally having a short single runway. These are not common but can be found, for example, at London City AirportLondon City Airport is a single-runway STOLPORT situated in East London in the London Borough of Newham developed by the private engineering company Mowlem in 1986/87. It has since been extended in three significant stages. The runway was lengthened and t, London, England.