Retractable landing gear reduces an airplane’s drag, increasing CRUISE speed and glide distance. You no longer have to fly a retractable-gear aircraft to earn the commercial pilot certificate—but if you do so, chances are high that it will be a Piper PA–28R Arrow, possibly the most-used retract for pilot training.
The Arrow’s gear is hydraulically actuated by an electrically powered, reversible pump controlled by the gear selector switch on the panel, next to the throttle quadrant. (Other aircraft designs can employ electric motors to raise and lower the landing gear.) Hydraulic pressure holds the gear up, so there are no uplocks as on some aircraft. The landing gear retracts or extends in about seven seconds.
Three green lights located below the selector indicate when the gear is down and locked, and a red Warning Gear Unsafe light at the top of the panel illuminates when the gear is in transit. When all gear lights are out, the gear is up. For emergency gear extension, the hydraulic pressure holding the gear up is released, and the gear freefalls into the extended position; a spring helps to push the nose gear forward against the airflow.
Pilots flying any retractable-gear aircraft must be mindful of maximum gear retraction and extension speeds, which often are not the same. Although the glide ratio will decrease—sometimes dramatically—with landing gear extended, the extended gear act as an effective speed brake, and can provide some stability during turbulence.
