Definition
The pitch attitude of the airplane at the moment of touchdown, with the nose raised so the main wheels contact the runway first while the wings are at a high angle of attack near the stall.
Plain English
The nose-up position the airplane is held in just as it touches down, so the main wheels land before the nose wheel.
Context Anchor
You encounter this term during the round out and flare, when the pilot changes from descending toward the runway to settling onto it for touchdown.
Derivation
Attitude originally referred to the posture or position of a body. In aviation, it means the posture of the airplane in the air: how the nose and wings are positioned. Landing attitude is that airplane posture at the moment of landing.
Why Pilots Care
A correct landing attitude protects the nose gear, prevents porpoising, and produces a smooth touchdown.
Intuition Check
Do not read attitude here as a feeling or mood. In aviation, attitude means the airplane’s physical position, especially where the nose is pointing.
Example Sentence 1
As the airplane crossed the threshold, the pilot smoothly raised the nose to establish the landing attitude and let the main wheels settle onto the runway.
Example Sentence 2
In gusty conditions the pilot adjusted the landing attitude slightly higher to keep the nose from dropping early.