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power-off glide — Aviation Definition | Keynomen Aviation

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power-off glide

Plain English Meaning

Flying the airplane down to the ground without engine power, using the right nose attitude to keep the airplane traveling as far as possible while it descends.

Full Definition

A controlled descent flown with the engine producing no usable thrust, in which the airplane trades altitude for forward airspeed to reach a chosen landing point. The pilot manages pitch attitude to hold the airplane's best glide speed, which gives the greatest distance over the ground for the altitude available.

power-off glide

Context Anchor

Used during engine-failure training and especially when discussing what to do after an engine failure shortly after takeoff.

Derivation

"Power-off" simply states that engine power is not contributing to flight. "Glide" comes from Old English glidan, meaning to move smoothly along — describing how the airplane continues forward through the air on its wings alone after power is lost.

Why Pilots Care

Determines whether the aircraft can reach a suitable landing area after total power loss.

Grounding Statement

In a power-off glide, the airplane is still flying, but it is trading height for forward movement instead of using engine power.

Intuition Check

Power-off does not mean the airplane is switched off or unflyable. It means the engine is not providing useful power, so the pilot must manage speed, direction, and landing choice without engine help.

Example Sentence 1

After the engine quit, the pilot lowered the nose into a power-off glide and aimed for the field straight ahead.

Example Sentence 2

From 800 feet AGL the student practiced a power-off glide to a simulated field on the downwind leg.