Definition
A nose attitude in which the airplane's longitudinal axis is held closer to level with the horizon than in a normal full-stall landing flare, producing a lower angle of attack at touchdown. It is the pitch attitude used in a wheel landing in a tailwheel airplane, where the main wheels touch first while the tail is still flying.
Plain English
The nose is held lower and more level than usual when touching down, instead of being raised high like a normal landing.
Context Anchor
Seen in tailwheel airplane wheel landings, especially during the final part of the landing as the airplane is placed onto the runway.
Derivation
‘Flatter’ here is a comparison — flatter than the higher, nose-up attitude of a three-point or full-stall landing. ‘Pitch attitude’ refers to where the nose is pointed relative to the horizon. Together: a less nose-up attitude than the standard landing flare.
Why Pilots Care
Helps prevent premature nose-gear contact that can lead to porpoising or nose-over in tailwheel aircraft.
Grounding Statement
Picture the airplane arriving just slightly nose-up, not with the nose held high.
Intuition Check
Do not read “attitude” as emotion or mindset here. In this phrase, “pitch attitude” means the airplane’s nose-up or nose-down position.
Example Sentence 1
For the wheel landing, the pilot held a flatter pitch attitude so the main wheels touched first while the tail was still in the air.
Example Sentence 2
Holding too nose-high instead of relaxing to a flatter pitch attitude is a common cause of bounced wheel landings.