Primary Control Surfaces
This control surface, located on the horizontal stabilizer, controls the pitch of the airplane.
What is the elevator?
This axis runs from the nose to the tail and controls roll.
What is the longitudinal axis?
Pulling back on the yoke causes the nose to rise and this force to increase, making the plane climb.
What is lift?
This upward force created by the wings opposes weight.
What is lift?
Pilots wear this awkward looking things on their heads not because they like 80s music, but to talk and not go deaf.
What are headsets?
Moving this surface left or right with the rudder pedals changes the airplane’s yaw.
What is the rudder?
Pitch, or the nose moving up or down, occurs around this axis.
What is the lateral axis?
Pushing the yoke forward causes the nose to drop and this force to dominate, causing a dive.
What is weight?
This downward force caused by gravity opposes lift.
What is weight?
These "spinny" things aren’t just for smoothies—they help a plane move forward.
What are propellers?
To roll the airplane to the left, the pilot moves the stick left, causing this aileron movement.
What is left aileron up and right aileron down?
Yaw, or nose left/right movement, occurs around this axis.
What is the vertical axis?
Moving the stick right causes the right aileron to go up and the left aileron to go down, producing this motion.
What is a roll to the right?
Engines or propellers generate this forward force that opposes drag.
What is thrust?
Using a model, moving the stick left demonstrates this motion of the plane.
What is a roll to the left?
Pulling back on the yoke moves this control surface, causing the nose to rise and the airplane to climb.
What is the elevator?
Coordinated turns require combining ailerons and this surface to control yaw.
What is the rudder?
Pressing the right rudder pedal moves the rudder right, producing this motion of the nose.
What is yawing to the right?
Air resistance that slows the plane and opposes thrust is called this.
What is drag?
This part of a plane is not just for snacks and bad movies—it’s where the pilot actually controls the airplane.
What is the cockpit?
This tip reminds pilots to always trace the sequence: control input → surface moves → aircraft moves → axis of rotation.
What is the cause-and-effect chain?
This axis is involved when the left wing lifts more than the right, causing the plane to roll.
What is the longitudinal axis?
This tip explains that in turns, pilots must combine ailerons and rudder to maintain smooth, coordinated motion.
What is the coordinated turn technique?
During a climb, this relationship occurs between lift and weight.
What is lift greater than weight?
Slow flight occurs when this force is greater than thrust.
What is drag?