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Glite Dictionary
three-point landing

three-point landing

1 6.7
All three wheels of a plane touch the ground at the same time as it arrives on the runway
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : aterrizaje de tres puntos
  • It wasn't exactly a three-point landing, Frank.

Examples

  • After a long flight, the aircraft achieved a smooth three-point landing on the runway.

  • The pilot executed a flawless three-point landing as the crowd applauded.

  • - Three-point landing sequence initiated.

    Thunderbirds (2004)

  • During the training session, the instructor demonstrated the proper technique for a safe three-point landing.

Synonyms

touchdown
vsthree-point landing
  • Specialized
15 4.1

The moment a plane's wheels touch the runway when it lands

involves all three wheels touching ground at the same instant
aircraft landing
vsthree-point landing
3.4

Bringing an aircraft down to the ground safely

focuses on all three wheels touching at once rather than the whole process
airplane landing
vsthree-point landing
  • US
2.2

Bringing a plane safely down at the end of a flight

requires all three wheels to touch the ground simultaneously rather than any landing

Surface Forms

three-point landing singular
three-point landings plural

Morphology

three-point + landing

The phrase combines 'three-point' (indicating three points of contact) with 'landing' (descent onto a surface), so learners can infer it refers to a landing involving three contact points. However, the precise technical sense — that those points are the aircraft's three wheels touching simultaneously — requires aviation-specific knowledge, so the meaning is only partially predictable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Three-point landing comes from the clear image of an airplane's three wheels touching the ground at the same time. So it means 'a landing in which all three wheels touch the ground at once'.