Definition
A wing configuration in which the wing is mounted at or near the bottom of the fuselage, so the wing surface sits below the cabin floor and pilot's eye level.
Plain English
The wing is attached to the lower part of the airplane's body, beneath the cockpit, rather than on top of it.
Context Anchor
Seen when checking straight-and-level flight attitude by looking outside at the wings and the horizon.
Why Pilots Care
Affects propeller clearance on the ground, ease of passenger entry, and certain stability and stall recovery traits during flight.
Intuition Check
Do not confuse this with a low-wing airplane, where the wings are mounted low on the body. In this context, low wing means one wing is lower than the other during flight.
Example Sentence 1
The Piper Cherokee is a low wing trainer, so the student had a clear view of the sky above but had to bank the airplane to see the runway below.
Example Sentence 2
Low wing airplanes often give the pilot a clear view of the runway during turns in the traffic pattern.