Is this a trick question?

Question

A motorcyclist was sent by the post office to to meet a plane at the airport. The plane landed ahead of schedule and it's mail was taken toward the post office by horse. After half an hour the horseman met the motorcyclist on the road and gave him the mail. The motorcyclist returned to the post office 20 minutes before he was expected. How many minutes early did the plane land?

Answer 1

The motorcyclist cut 20 minutes from his trip by meeting the horse which travelled for 30 minutes.

IF the motorcyclist would have taken that 20 minutes to get from the point where he met the horse to the airport and back.

THEN the motorcyclist was 10 minutes from the airport when he met the horse.

So, the 10 minutes used by the motorcyclist plus the 30 minutes travelled by the horse means the airplane landed 40 minutes early.