Positive Rate, Gear Up: The Few Times Pilots Wait Before Raising The Landing Gear

Three seconds after takeoff, a pilot’s hand moves to the landing gear lever. The three heavy steel assemblies below fold up into the belly of the aircraft and instantly remove a wall of aerodynamic drag, leaving the raw engine thrust unobstructed. In rare and demanding situations, flight crews consciously break this foundational rule, deliberately leaving three massive landing gear legs extended into a 200-knot (370 km/h) airstream.