Which statement best describes VLE?

• A. Minimum airspeed with landing gear extended
• B. Airspeed for gear down and locked
• C. Maximum airspeed with landing gear extended
• D. Maximum airspeed with landing gear extended

Answer: (D)

VLE is the maximum airspeed at which you can safely fly with the landing gear extended. When the gear is down, drag increases and the aircraft’s structural loads on the gears and doors rise. Pushing this speed above VLE can overstress the landing gear system or cause door and gear components to fail or behave improperly, so you must stay at or below this limit whenever the gear is extended.

This is different from the speed for gear down and locked (VLO), which is about the maximum speed at which the landing gear can be extended or retracted safely. The idea here is that VLE specifically governs flight with the gear already down, not the act of extending or retracting it. The other option mentioning minimum airspeed isn’t relevant to the safe maximum with gear extended, and the two phrases describing maximum airspeed with gear extended are essentially the same concept, with the standard definition being the maximum safe speed with the gear extended.