wheels up
Aircraft leaves ground
Wheels up refers to the moment an aircraft's landing gear leaves the ground at takeoff.
In military and aviation contexts, it marks official departure time: Wheels up at 0600.
The phrase extends to any departure or launch moment: We need to be wheels up by noon if we're going to make the meeting.
Often used as an announcement that things are underway.
- takeoffDeparture or parody
- departureAct of going away
- airborneTraveling through air
- liftoffMoment of ascent
- nose upRaise the aircraft's front
final boarding · runway · flight · ascent · cleared · cockpit · flight crew · jet · tarmac · altitude · aviation · soaring · gear · retract · climb · throttle · engines · full throttle
- aviation jargoncockpit, fuselage, jetway, pushback, holding pattern
- takeoffsliftoff, blastoff, blast off, vertical takeoff, launch
- flightflying, fly, flight, aviation, aircraft
- aviationaircraft, airports, flying, flight, airplane
- hurry uphurry, hurry up, rush, hustle, move it
- airline termscaptain, pilot, copilot, first officer, flight attendant
flight status
wheels upgrounded
Stable and realistic
on the ground · landed · taxiing · parked · stationary
departure/arrival phase
wheels uptouchdown
Six-point gridiron play
landing · arrival · descending · inbound