Systems and methods for improving landing gear alerting on a rotary wing aircraft. An example system includes a user interface device that allows a user to set a bug altitude value and a radio altimeter that produces an altitude value, both of which are in communication with a processor. The processor receives a bug altitude setting, generates a landing gear alert altitude value based on the received bug altitude setting and a predefined additive, receives a radio altitude value for the rotary-wing aircraft, and generates a landing gear alert if the radio altitude value is less than the landing gear alert altitude value and the landing gear is not in a landing position. An output device in signal communication with the processor, outputs the generated landing gear alert.