diff --git a/ArduPlane/Plane.cpp b/ArduPlane/Plane.cpp
index dff3166b02..ab13b35f38 100644
--- a/ArduPlane/Plane.cpp
+++ b/ArduPlane/Plane.cpp
@@ -32,3 +32,31 @@ Plane::Plane(void)
 
 Plane plane;
 AP_Vehicle& vehicle = plane;
+
+#if AP_SCRIPTING_ENABLED
+
+// returns true if vehicle is landing. Only used by Lua scripts
+bool Plane::is_landing() const
+{
+    #if HAL_QUADPLANE_ENABLED
+    
+    return plane.quadplane.in_vtol_land_descent();
+
+    #endif // HAL_QUADPLANE_ENABLED
+
+    return control_mode->is_landing();
+}
+
+// returns true if vehicle is taking off. Only used by Lua scripts
+bool Plane::is_taking_off() const
+{
+    #if HAL_QUADPLANE_ENABLED
+
+    return plane.quadplane.in_vtol_takeoff();
+
+    #endif // HAL_QUADPLANE_ENABLED
+
+    return control_mode->is_taking_off();
+}
+
+#endif // AP_SCRIPTING_ENABLED
diff --git a/ArduPlane/Plane.h b/ArduPlane/Plane.h
index 504ea7b840..d26500571b 100644
--- a/ArduPlane/Plane.h
+++ b/ArduPlane/Plane.h
@@ -523,6 +523,7 @@ private:
         float rudder_offset_pct;
         bool run_yaw_rate_controller;
     } nav_scripting;
+
 #endif
 
     struct {
@@ -1245,6 +1246,8 @@ public:
 
     // allow for landing descent rate to be overridden by a script, may be -ve to climb
     bool set_land_descent_rate(float descent_rate) override;
+    bool is_landing() const override;
+    bool is_taking_off() const override;
 #endif // AP_SCRIPTING_ENABLED
 
 };
diff --git a/ArduPlane/mode.h b/ArduPlane/mode.h
index a4cb940cd1..1e2701dd7d 100644
--- a/ArduPlane/mode.h
+++ b/ArduPlane/mode.h
@@ -128,6 +128,13 @@ public:
     // handle a guided target request from GCS
     virtual bool handle_guided_request(Location target_loc) { return false; }
 
+    // true if is landing 
+    virtual bool is_landing() const { return false; }
+
+    // true if is taking 
+    virtual bool is_taking_off() const { return false; }
+
+
 protected:
 
     // subclasses override this to perform checks before entering the mode
@@ -209,6 +216,10 @@ public:
     
     bool mode_allows_autotuning() const override { return true; }
 
+    bool is_landing() const override;
+    
+    bool is_taking_off() const override;
+
 protected:
 
     bool _enter() override;
@@ -745,6 +756,8 @@ public:
 
     bool does_auto_throttle() const override { return true; }
 
+    bool is_taking_off() const override { return true; }
+
     // var_info for holding parameter information
     static const struct AP_Param::GroupInfo var_info[];
 
diff --git a/ArduPlane/mode_auto.cpp b/ArduPlane/mode_auto.cpp
index 548dd0b261..cbbf2fe452 100644
--- a/ArduPlane/mode_auto.cpp
+++ b/ArduPlane/mode_auto.cpp
@@ -159,3 +159,25 @@ bool ModeAuto::_pre_arm_checks(size_t buflen, char *buffer) const
     // Note that this bypasses the base class checks
     return true;
 }
+
+bool ModeAuto::is_landing() const
+{
+    switch(plane.mission.get_current_nav_cmd().id) {
+    case MAV_CMD_NAV_LAND:
+    case MAV_CMD_NAV_VTOL_LAND:
+    case MAV_CMD_DO_VTOL_TRANSITION:
+        return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+}
+
+bool ModeAuto::is_taking_off() const
+{
+    switch(plane.mission.get_current_nav_cmd().id) {
+    case MAV_CMD_NAV_TAKEOFF:
+    case MAV_CMD_NAV_VTOL_TAKEOFF:
+    case MAV_CMD_DO_VTOL_TRANSITION:
+        return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+}