Definition
A list of items the pilot completes after the airplane has cleared the active runway and is taxiing toward parking. Typical items include retracting flaps, turning off unneeded systems such as landing lights and pitot heat, opening cowl flaps, and setting the transponder and trim as required for taxi.
Plain English
A short list of things the pilot does once safely off the runway, to clean up the airplane and get it ready for taxi to parking.
Context Anchor
Used just after landing, usually once the airplane is clear of the runway and before taxiing to parking.
Derivation
Checklist comes from the idea of a list used to check, meaning to verify that each required item has been done. That matters here because the after-landing checklist is not a memory test; it is a verification tool used at a specific point after landing.
Why Pilots Care
Prevents missing critical steps such as raising flaps, leaning the mixture, or securing electrical systems during the high-workload phase immediately after landing.
Intuition Check
Do not assume “after-landing” means the flight is over and attention can relax. It means a specific checklist phase after the airplane is on the ground, while the pilot is still actively controlling it.
Example Sentence 1
Once clear of the runway and stopped on the taxiway, she ran the after-landing checklist and retracted the flaps.
Example Sentence 2
Completing the after-landing checklist ensured the transponder was set to standby and the carburetor heat was off before taxiing to the ramp.