Definition
The progressive aft (back) movement of the elevator control applied by the pilot after a tailwheel airplane touches down in a three-point landing, used to hold the tailwheel firmly on the ground and keep the main wheels planted as the airplane decelerates.
Plain English
After the wheels are on the runway, the pilot keeps pulling the control stick or yoke back, and continues pulling it back further as the airplane slows. This pressure holds the tail down so the airplane stays settled on all three wheels and does not try to lift off again or bounce.
Context Anchor
Encountered during tailwheel three-point landing technique, immediately after all three wheels are on the runway.
Derivation
Elevator comes from a word meaning “to raise.” On an airplane, the elevator is the control surface that raises or lowers the nose. Input simply means the command the pilot gives through the controls.
Why Pilots Care
Maintains aircraft stability, prevents propeller strikes or nose-over, and preserves directional control when the airplane is most vulnerable on the ground.
Grounding Statement
After touchdown, the airplane is still flying less and rolling more, so the pilot keeps using the elevator smoothly until the airplane is fully under control on the runway.
Intuition Check
Input does not mean information entered into a device here. It means the control pressure or movement the pilot applies to the airplane.
Example Sentence 1
After the three-point touchdown, the instructor reminded the student to maintain after-landing elevator input all the way through the rollout until taxi speed.
Example Sentence 2
In a crosswind the pilot maintains after-landing elevator input while using rudder to track the centerline during rollout.