Primary controls & axes
Three primary controls, each tipping the aircraft about a different axis. Name the axis by the motion around it, then the control that drives it.
| Control | Axis | Motion | Input |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailerons | longitudinal (nose-to-tail) | roll | wheel/stick left-right |
| Elevator | lateral (wingtip-to-wingtip) | pitch | column fore/aft |
| Rudder | vertical / normal | yaw | rudder pedals |
Secondary controls: trim tabs hold a control in place so you don't have to keep pushing on it (not a fourth axis); flaps add lift and drag and lower the stall speed for slower, steeper approaches.
Trap: the whole test is the mix-up. Roll is about the longitudinal axis (not lateral), pitch the lateral (not longitudinal), yaw the vertical (TP 1102).
References
- TP 1102 (Flight Training Manual)