# What does "greased the landing" (aviation) mean?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-greased-the-landing-aviation-mean/755269>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 21, 2016, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-greased-the-landing-aviation-mean/755269 "2016-05-21T01:12:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-greased-the-landing-aviation-mean/755269/1 "2016-05-21T01:12:48Z")

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See query.

Still in use?

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**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-greased-the-landing-aviation-mean/755269/2 "2016-05-21T01:21:22Z")

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Yes, still in use.

It means a landing so smooth it’s hard to tell just when the wheels touch the ground.

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-greased-the-landing-aviation-mean/755269/3 "2016-05-21T01:23:10Z")

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I don’t know it’s origin but it means an incredibly smooth landing, no bump, no sound. I haven’t heard it myself for some years because I haven’t been hanging out with pilots that much, but I don’t know why they wouldn’t keep saying it.

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**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-greased-the-landing-aviation-mean/755269/4 "2016-05-21T01:33:33Z")

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Tanks.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-greased-the-landing-aviation-mean/755269/5 "2016-05-21T02:57:16Z")

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> [@Leo\_Bloom](#):
>
> Tanks.

Tanks always go thunk when they land.

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**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-greased-the-landing-aviation-mean/755269/6 "2016-05-21T03:21:30Z")

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> [@TriPolar](#):
>
> Tanks always go thunk when they land.

Absent a truly _serious_ amount of grease.

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**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-greased-the-landing-aviation-mean/755269/7 "2016-05-21T05:52:10Z")

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> [@TriPolar](#):
>
> Tanks always go thunk when they land.

> [@Xema](#):
>
> Absent a truly _serious_ amount of grease.

The B-36, a really fucking big piston-engined bomber built after WWII, actually was [tested](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDCgMlomhvM) with a tracked landing gear like a tank.