Drag peaks during landing explain how pilots achieve a stable approach and safe touchdown

Drag isn’t a villain so much as the air’s way of saying, “Hey, you’re moving through me, get ready.” For the ANIT topics that show up in aviation and nautical information tests, understanding drag helps you read the flight deck like a map. Here’s the straight story behind a common question: when is drag on an aircraft at its maximum?

Let me explain the main idea first

The correct answer is: during landing. Why? Because the airplane is lined up for a slow, controlled descent, and the hardware and config choices that go with that setup all team up to increase resistance to airflow. The wings are working hard to keep the plane stable at lower speeds, and pilots deploy surfaces like flaps and landing gear to shape the approach. All of this bumps up the overall drag. It’s not about speed alone; it’s about speed plus configuration and lift demands.

What happens to drag during landing

• Slower airspeed boosts induced drag. Induced drag rises when you generate lift at lower speeds. As you come down, the wings must produce enough lift to keep you level and controllable, but at a lower speed, that lift comes with a steeper angle of attack. The result is more drag created by the lift-producing flow.

• Flaps, slats, and other surface changes increase surface area. When you extend flaps and slats, you’re increasing the wing’s surface area and changing the airflow around the wing. That extra surface area creates more resistance, which translates into more drag.

• The landing gear adds drag. The wheels and gear doors extend into the airflow, which disrupts smooth airflow and adds form drag. It’s a deliberate trade-off: you need the gear to land safely, so you accept a bit more drag for a controlled touchdown.

• Reynolds number considerations come into play. In simple terms, the air’s behavior around the aircraft changes at lower speeds and with different surface configurations. The combined effect is a drag increase that’s especially noticeable during the final approach and the touchdown.

Why not climb, cruise, or takeoff?

Think of drag as a balancing act with thrust, weight, and lift. In other flight phases, the configuration isn’t tuned for maximum drag in the same way:

• Climbing: The airplane is often higher and thinner in the air, but power is focused on gaining altitude. Flaps are typically retracted, and the airplane flies at higher speeds where induced drag is lower and parasite drag is manageable.

• Cruising: This is the sweet spot for efficiency. The air is smooth, speed is steady, and both flaps and gear are stowed. Drag is predictable, and the airplane cruises with a balance of lift and forward motion.

• Takeoff: You’re moving fast and clean, with gear up soon after liftoff and flaps set for a short-field or normal takeoff. Drag is present but is kept relatively low compared to the landing setup, because the goal is to gain altitude quickly and safely.

Connecting it to the bigger picture

In aviation, drag is part of a bigger system. Pilots constantly trade drag off against thrust and lift to stay on the right glide path. The same ideas show up in ANIT-related questions as you learn to parse how different phases of flight alter the forces acting on the airplane. You might also see drag discussed alongside fuel burn, airspeed, and stability margins. Each of these pieces helps build a clearer picture of how an aircraft behaves from wheel spin to wheel landing.

A quick tour of the practical side

• Descent stability depends on drag. You want enough drag to slow you down without making the airplane mushy or unstable. The right amount helps you stay on the approach path and plan a smooth flare.

• Landing technique has a rhythm. Pilots manage descent rate, airspeed, and engine power with a precise sequence. Flaps come down early to increase lift at lower speeds, then gear and flaps settle the configuration for the landing. It’s a careful choreography where drag is a deliberate, useful partner.

• Environmental factors matter. Wind, air density, and turbulence can influence how drag feels in the cockpit. On a windy day, you might notice the drag effects more as you fight to hold the glide slope.

Relating this to the test-style questions you’ll see

When a question asks about maximum drag, here are handy cues to keep in mind:

• Look for “low speed” and “high lift demand.” If the aircraft is configured to fly slowly but still needs lift, drag tends to be higher.

• Check the configuration. Are flaps or landing gear deployed? That’s a strong signal that drag is up.

• Consider the phase of flight. If the scenario centers on landing, the drag maximum is a high-likelihood answer.

• Remember the contrast. In climb or cruise, the airplane aims for efficiency; those phases usually don’t peak drag the way landing does.

A few related ANIT-friendly tidbits

• Drag is not the same as friction. Drag is a combination of parasitic drag (from the aircraft’s surfaces and protrusions) and induced drag (from generating lift). Both rise or fall depending on speed and configuration.

• Speed is the sneaky influencer. Parasitic drag grows with speed, while induced drag drops as you speed up. That’s why the intersection where lift is efficient yet drag remains manageable is tricky—landing sits right in a zone where both types of drag are significant.

• The design thread. Aircraft designers organize landing gear, flaps, and wing geometry to balance takeoff and landing needs. The goal isn’t to eliminate drag but to control it so the airplane behaves predictably during approach and touchdown.

A little digression that ties back to the core idea

You’ve probably heard people talk about “clean” configurations—wings clean of surfaces for cool efficiency. It’s true for cruising, but not everything is about clean in the real world. On approach, you deliberately add drag to keep the plane from rushing downward or speeding past the runway. That’s not a failure of design; it’s a deliberate choice to create safety through predictability. The same logic shows up in other systems, like how a car uses brakes to convert kinetic energy into heat during a controlled stop. In both cases, the point isn’t speed; it’s control.

Putting it all together

So, the moment when drag is at its maximum isn’t a mystery. It’s during landing, when speed is down and the airplane’s configuration intentionally increases resistance to air. The gear comes down, flaps extend, and the airplane does the tricky work of bleeding off energy while preserving control. In other flight phases, you’ll see less drag because the machinery isn’t set up to fight the air at such a slow pace.

A concise mental checklist you can carry

• Is the plane configured for landing? If yes, expect higher drag.

• Are flaps or gear deployed? That’s a red flag for increased drag.

• Is airspeed relatively low? Higher induced drag tends to follow.

• Is the phase described as approach or touchdown? That’s a cue that drag could be near its peak.

Final thought

Understanding why drag peaks during landing not only helps you ace ANIT-style questions; it also gives you a practical lens for reading real-world flight. When you hear a pilot talk about a steadier glide toward the runway or a smooth flare, you’re hearing drag in action—an everyday reminder that physics isn’t distant theory, but the quiet force behind every safe landing.