There are many reasons to avoid a takeoff or landing with a tailwind. These range from the fact that takeoff and landing distance requirements will be longer to reduced climb gradient due to higher ground speed over distance.
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As you enter your flare on landing with a tailwind, you'll be traveling much faster over the ground than you're probably used to in your airplane, due to a high groundspeed. Maintaining directional control can be difficult, especially with a quartering tailwind.
There's no doubt that while you can land with a tailwind, it increases your risk of things going wrong. But at the same time, most GA airplanes have performance charts that let you calculate takeoffs and landings with up to 10 knots of tailwind.
In the landing case, tailwinds may also result in higher number of go arounds due to the increased probability for an unstable approach. This increases both pilots' and controllers' workload. Additionally, landing aircraft would be likely to remain longer on the runway and vacate via later-than-normal taxiways.
The airplane will still fly; it just takes considerably more runway to depart. Most Pilot's Operating Handbooks (POHs) will use a phraseology in their takeoff roll performance charts such as increase ground roll 10% for every 2 kts of tailwind or similar.
If you are already in the air, going to another airport to land may be the better option. There are many reasons to avoid a takeoff or landing with a tailwind. These range from the fact that takeoff and landing distance requirements will be longer to reduced climb gradient due to higher ground speed over distance.
With this in mind, horizontal winds (also known as “crosswinds”) in excess of 30-35 kts (about 34-40 mph) are generally prohibitive of take-off and landing.
Other special cases include a tailwind, where the plane and wind are acting in the same direction. As you may suspect, the speed of the aircraft increases when there is a tailwind and decreases when there is a headwind.
With this in mind, horizontal winds (also known as “crosswinds”) in excess of 30-35 kts (about 34-40 mph) are generally prohibitive of take-off and landing.
That flight set a record for the fastest subsonic transatlantic commercial airline flight — 5 hours and 13 minutes, thanks to a 202 mph tailwind. For reference, the speed of sound is 760 mph; but the plane did not break the sound barrier.
In this case of takeoff, the fast air bearing down on the plane generates an upward force on the wings (analogous to a gun's recoil), which helps lift the aircraft. In short, pilots like to take off into a headwind because it helps them achieve wheels up faster.
Yes, an aircraft can stay in the air without going forward if the oncoming wind, called headwinds are equal or greater than th minimum speed of that aircraft.