Landing

When a fixed-wing aircraft approaches the ground, the pilot will move the control column back to execute a flare or round-out.

[6] In a light aircraft, with little crosswind, the ideal landing is when contact with the ground occurs as the forward speed is reduced to the point where there is no longer sufficient airspeed to remain aloft.

Reverse thrust is used by many jet aircraft to help slow down just after touch-down, redirecting engine exhaust forward instead of back.

Some propeller-driven airplanes also have this feature, where the blades of the propeller are re-angled to push air forward instead of back using the 'beta range'.

Most parachutes work by capturing air, inducing enough drag that the falling object hits the ground at a relatively slow speed.

On the other hand, modern ram-air parachutes are essentially inflatable wings that operate in a gliding flight mode.

Parachutists execute a flare at landing, reducing or eliminating both downward and forward speed at touchdown, in order to avoid injury.

In November 2015, Blue Origin's New Shepard became the first rocket to cross the Kármán line (edge of space at 100 km altitude) and land vertically back on Earth.