Definition
An airplane with a landing gear arrangement consisting of two main wheels forward of the center of gravity and a single small wheel or skid at the tail. Also known as a taildragger.
Plain English
An airplane that sits with its nose pointed up on the ground because it has two big wheels at the front and one small wheel under the tail.
Context Anchor
You will see this term in discussions of landing gear types, taxiing, takeoff, landing, and flight training in tailwheel airplanes.
Derivation
Called 'conventional' because this was the standard, or conventional, landing gear layout used on most airplanes before tricycle gear (with the small wheel at the front) became common in the 1940s and 50s. The name stuck even though tricycle gear is now far more common.
Why Pilots Care
These airplanes demand specific taxi, takeoff, and landing techniques, particularly in crosswinds, because the tailwheel provides no steering until the tail rises.
Grounding Statement
Picture an airplane parked with its nose pointing upward and its tail low to the ground; that is the usual stance of a conventional gear airplane.
Intuition Check
Conventional does not mean ordinary or easier here. It means the older tailwheel-style landing gear arrangement, not the nosewheel arrangement found on many modern training airplanes.
Example Sentence 1
Before flying the Piper Cub solo, the student needed a tailwheel endorsement because it is a conventional gear airplane.
Example Sentence 2
Vintage aircraft are often conventional gear airplanes that require careful handling on the ground.