On a separate note, while I was in a flying lesson once, my instructor flew the plane backwards. The plane, a Cessna 172, was moving backwards (the ground was moving forward underneath us).
Same principle as the STOL contests in Alaska- steong headwinds.
In our case the headwind was greater than our stall speed, so the airspeed was greater than our stall speed and the wings generated enough lift to keep us in the air; we idled the throttle so our airspeed would not exceed the wind speed.
If headwind is greater than your takeoff speed then there’s no reason you can’t take off and land in very short distances.