Aircraft Controls
What primary control surface controls ROLL?
Ailerons
Which force opposes THRUST?
Drag
Which instrument shows PITCH and BANK?
Attitude Indicator (AI)
Name the THREE primary pitot-static instruments.
ASI, Altimeter, VSI
What aerodynamic condition actually causes a wing to stall?
Exceeding the critical angle of attack
The elevator controls what aircraft motion?
Pitch
Which force acts toward Earth?
Weight
Which instrument tells altitude above mean sea level?
Altimeter
The Airspeed Indicator uses which pressure source(s)?
Pitot pressure AND static pressure
Can an airplane stall at a high airspeed?
Yes — if critical AoA is exceeded
What primary control surface controls YAW?
Rudder
Relative wind points opposite what?
The aircraft’s flight path / direction of travel through the air
Which instrument shows rate of climb or descent?
Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI)
Static source blocked: which instrument normally reads ZERO?
Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI)
What is the FIRST aerodynamic priority in stall recovery?
Reduce angle of attack
An airplane PITCHES around which axis?
Lateral axis
Angle of attack is the angle between what TWO references?
The wing’s chord line and the relative wind
Which instrument shows the aircraft’s heading?
Heading Indicator / Directional Gyro (HI/DG)
Pitot opening blocked, drain hole open: what happens to the ASI?
It tends toward zero; Altimeter and VSI can remain normal
An airplane tends to return toward its original condition after a disturbance. What type of stability?
Positive stability
Ailerons establish the bank. What actually makes the airplane turn?
The inward / horizontal component of lift
Below critical AoA, what generally happens to lift as AoA increases?
Lift generally increases (until critical AoA is reached)
Which instrument shows turn rate and slip/skid information?
Turn Coordinator (TC)
AI/heading information looks wrong, but ASI/ALT/VSI agree. What source family should you suspect first?
Gyro / electronic attitude-heading reference
More bank can make altitude harder to hold. Why?
Bank tilts the lift vector, leaving less vertical lift to support weight unless total lift is increased