Definition
In the context of emergency landing gear extension, free fall is the method by which the landing gear is released from its retracted position and allowed to drop and lock into the down position under the force of gravity alone, without hydraulic or electric assistance.
Plain English
If the normal system that lowers the gear fails, the pilot releases a mechanism that lets the gear simply fall down under its own weight until it locks in place.
Context Anchor
Seen in emergency gear extension procedures for retractable-gear airplanes.
Derivation
The phrase combines 'free' (without restraint) and 'fall' (motion downward under gravity). In aviation gear systems, it describes the gear being freed from its uplocks so gravity can do the work the hydraulic or electric system normally does.
Why Pilots Care
Enables safe extension of retractable landing gear when normal powered systems have failed, reducing the risk of a gear-up landing.
Grounding Statement
In this context, the gear is not being powered down; it is being released so gravity can pull it down.
Intuition Check
Free fall does not mean the airplane is falling out of the sky. Here, it means the landing gear is released and allowed to drop down without normal system power.
Example Sentence 1
When the hydraulic pump failed, the pilot followed the emergency checklist and used free fall to extend the landing gear.
Example Sentence 2
The free fall extension sequence relies on gravity and air loads to swing the gear fully down and lock it in place.