Definition
The airspeed at which the pilot applies back pressure on the controls during the takeoff roll to lift the nosewheel off the runway and establish the takeoff pitch attitude. Commonly written as VR.
Plain English
The speed during takeoff at which you pull back on the controls to raise the nose and start flying.
Context Anchor
Seen in takeoff planning, pilot operating handbooks, and takeoff briefings, often as the point where the pilot says or thinks “rotate.”
Derivation
Rotation comes from the Latin rotare, meaning to turn. The airplane appears to pivot, or rotate, about its main wheels as the nose lifts off the runway.
Why Pilots Care
Rotating at the correct speed produces the intended climb performance while avoiding early liftoff, tail strikes, or excessive runway use.
Intuition Check
Do not read “rotation speed” as liftoff speed. It means the speed to begin raising the nose; liftoff normally happens just after that if the airplane is ready to fly.
Example Sentence 1
At rotation speed, the pilot smoothly applied back pressure and the airplane lifted into a steady climb.
Example Sentence 2
On a short-field takeoff the pilot waited for the exact rotation speed before pitching up to clear the obstacle.