Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
General None Reported / Taken
Airport; Company Policy; Environment - Non Weather Related; Manuals; Procedure
Landing at JAC; cleared for VOR RWY 1 approach. Dispatch had us tankering fuel so we were heavier than need be. We looked at the landing data and determined if the runway was dry we could take up to a 5 knot tailwind. If it was wet we could accept no tailwind. Our plan was to fly the approach and depending on the wind either land on RWY 1 or circle to 19. Ceiling was 6;000 overcast. On Tower we twice asked for wind updates and each time were told the winds were calm. We elected to land on RWY 1 which was dry. When we asked if the PAPI was out; we were told they leave it off during day/VMC. The Captain did a nice job; although the VVI was around 1;000 FPM through most of the approach which we attributed to high altitude and heavy weight. We stopped uneventfully. On turning off the runway we saw the 10 knot wind socks were fully straight with at least a steady state 10 knot tailwind.Between tankering fuel; lack of PAPI and the Tower not reporting the actual winds (they stayed pretty steady) we felt like we had several links in a potential accident chain in place against us.Tankering fuel into high altitude; short runways; might not be wise. Tower not reporting accurate winds could have caused a problem.
A large passenger jet flight crew dispatched with tankered fuel to JAC was rightfully concerned about runway length (6;300 feet); field elevation (6;431 feet); ATC's SOP of not operating the PAPI during daylight/VMC; landing gross weight and wind direction.  Following a safe landing they were shocked to see the wind socks indicating at least a 10 knot tailwind although; when winds were requested during the approach; Tower had replied; 'Calm.'