Plain English Meaning
Stopping a climb or descent and settling the airplane into steady flight at the altitude you want to hold.
Full Definition
The transition maneuver from a climb or descent to level flight at a chosen altitude, accomplished by smoothly adjusting pitch attitude to stop the vertical movement and then setting power, trim, and airspeed for sustained level cruise.
Context Anchor
Seen during climb training, descent training, and any time a pilot is approaching an assigned or chosen altitude.
Why Pilots Care
A properly timed level-off prevents altitude overshoot, maintains airspeed, and produces a smooth handoff to cruise flight without abrupt power or attitude changes.
Intuition Check
Level-off does not mean simply making the wings level. In this context, it means ending the climb or descent so the airplane maintains the selected altitude.
Example Sentence 1
Begin the level-off about 50 feet below your target altitude so the airplane settles smoothly into cruise.
Example Sentence 2
During the level-off from a 500-feet-per-minute climb the pilot maintained coordination and trimmed for level flight.