Definition
A defined phase of flight beginning the moment the airplane has touched down and decelerated to a safe taxi speed, and ending when the airplane is parked or shut down. It is associated with a specific checklist covering items such as flap retraction, trim reset, cowl flaps, transponder, lights, and other configuration changes appropriate to ground operations.
Plain English
The part of the flight just after the airplane has landed and slowed down enough to taxi safely. The pilot uses this time, and the after-landing checklist, to clean up the airplane's configuration before taxiing to parking.
Context Anchor
Seen on cockpit checklists as a normal phase of flight, usually between landing rollout and taxi to parking.
Why Pilots Care
Correct after-landing actions prevent runway incursions, reduce the chance of overheating systems, and prepare the aircraft for safe ground movement.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as simply “anything that happens after the wheels touch.” In checklist use, “After landing” usually means the specific checklist done once the airplane is under control and clear of the runway.
Example Sentence 1
Once clear of the runway, the pilot stopped the airplane, set the parking brake, and ran the after-landing checklist before continuing to taxi.
Example Sentence 2
After landing, the pilot raised the flaps and turned off the landing lights before turning onto the taxiway.