Flight controls and the three axes
8 min readLesson 7 of 593D lab
- Match each primary control to its axis
- Explain adverse yaw and why you use rudder in turns
- Describe how the controls move in each direction
An airplane rotates around three axes, all passing through its center of gravity. Each primary flight control rotates the airplane around one of them.
| Control | Moves the airplane in | Around the |
|---|---|---|
| Ailerons (yoke left/right) | Roll (bank) | Longitudinal axis (nose to tail) |
| Elevator (yoke forward/back) | Pitch (nose up/down) | Lateral axis (wingtip to wingtip) |
| Rudder (pedals) | Yaw (nose left/right) | Vertical axis (top to bottom) |
Ailerons
Turn the yoke right and the right aileron goes up while the left aileron goes down. The down aileron increases lift on the left wing, the up aileron decreases lift on the right wing, and the airplane rolls right.
Elevator
Pull the yoke back and the elevator's trailing edge goes up. That pushes the tail down, which pitches the nose up. Push forward and the opposite happens.
Rudder
Push the right pedal and the rudder swings right, yawing the nose right. On the ground, the pedals also steer the nosewheel, and the tops of the pedals are the brakes.
Adverse yaw
When you roll into a turn, the down aileron on the rising wing makes more lift, and more lift also means more induced drag. That extra drag pulls the nose briefly the wrong way, away from the turn. That's adverse yaw. You fix it by adding rudder in the direction of the turn as you roll in, which keeps the airplane coordinated (the ball in the turn coordinator centered). "Step on the ball."
Key takeaways
- Ailerons = roll (longitudinal axis); elevator = pitch (lateral axis); rudder = yaw (vertical axis).
- Yoke right: right aileron up, left aileron down.
- Adverse yaw pulls the nose away from the turn; fix it with rudder toward the turn.
What the examiner may ask
Practice answering out loud before you open each answer.
How do you position the controls when taxiing in a quartering headwind?
What causes adverse yaw and how do you correct it?
What do the three axes pass through?
Common mistakes
- Rolling into turns with ailerons alone and letting the ball slide.
- Using rudder to make the airplane turn instead of bank.
- Forgetting wind control positions while taxiing.
Read it in the FAA sources
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Lesson check
Get every question right to complete the lesson. Take your time; wrong answers explain why.
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