The skid and toe in landing provide pilots reference to their surroundings in which planes?

• A. Horizontal
• B. Vertical
• C. Both horizontal and vertical
• D. None

Answer: (C)

During landing, pilots rely on cues from the gear to judge attitude and alignment in two directions. The skid and the way the wheels are oriented (toe-in) provide tangible references to how the airplane sits on the ground and how it will track along the runway. This gives a vertical reference for pitch—whether the nose is high or low relative to the horizon—and a horizontal reference for heading and alignment—whether the aircraft is tracking straight along the centerline or drifting. Because these cues inform both how high or low the nose is entering the touchdown and how the aircraft will move left or right along the runway, they offer visibility-based reference in both planes.