Pilot's Life Blog

FEBRUARY 11, 2025

Control Mechanisms Airplane Controls In airplanes, pilots manage flight using three primary controls: the ailerons, elevator, and rudder. The rudder, attached to the vertical tail fin, manages yaw, enabling the nose to move left or right. Does turbulence affect helicopters differently?

Torque 52

Torque Lift Airplanes Stability 52

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

These control surfaces dictate the aircraft’s roll, and this allows it to bank smoothly through turns or even recover from turbulence. Adverse yaw is a side effect of aileron use, countered by rudder input. The rotational force thats needed to move an object about an axis is called torque. What Is an Aileron?

Aileron 90

Aileron Weight-Shift-Control Rudder Longitudinal Axis 90

Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 12, 2024

The turbulent air hits the horizontal stabilizer, which causes a vibration that can be felt throughout the aircraft. Watch out for torque effect (especially if you are in high-powered aircraft) since the increase in power can cause the nose to yaw to the left. This requires rudder input to maintain directional control.

Stability 52

Stability Horizontal Stabilizer Airplanes Lift 52