Definition
A small, sturdy structural extension mounted on the underside of the aft fuselage, designed to contact the runway and protect the tail and lower fuselage from damage if the aircraft is over-rotated on takeoff or lands in an excessively nose-high attitude.
Plain English
A short bumper-like piece under the tail of the airplane that hits the runway first if the nose is lifted too high, so the actual fuselage doesn't get scraped or damaged.
Context Anchor
Seen during preflight inspection, especially on older tailwheel-style airplanes or aircraft with tail protection installed near the rear underside of the fuselage.
Derivation
From 'skid', meaning a piece that slides along a surface rather than rolls. The tail skid is named for what it does: it slides along the runway if the tail drops far enough to touch.
Why Pilots Care
Prevents costly damage to the tail structure during takeoff, landing, and taxi operations on grass or rough surfaces.
Intuition Check
Do not confuse a tail skid with an aerodynamic skid, where an airplane slides sideways through a turn. A tail skid is a physical protective part mounted under the tail.
Example Sentence 1
During preflight, the pilot checked the tail skid for scrape marks that might indicate a previous tail strike.
Example Sentence 2
On the grass runway the tail skid kept the fuselage clear of the turf during taxi.