final approach

Final begins when the aircraft turns onto the runway heading and ends at the flare. It is where the aircraft is lowest, slowest and most predictable, which is why nearly every arrival photograph is taken somewhere along it and why the approach path is the first thing a spotter looks for at a new airport.

Nearby in Aviation

• ETOPS — The approval that allows a twin-engined airliner to fly a route far from any suitable diversion airport.
• ferry flight — A flight with no revenue payload, flown to reposition an aircraft.
• flaps — Hinged panels at the trailing edge of the wing that extend to increase lift and drag for takeoff and landing.
• flare — The nose-up check just before touchdown that arrests the descent and sets the aircraft onto its main wheels.