Airplane Basics

Lift

The wings generate an upward force.

Weight

Gravity pulls the airplane toward Earth.

Thrust

The engine produces forward force.

Drag

Air resistance pushes against the airplane’s movement.

Four forces are constantly acting on an airplane:

Lift

Thrust

Weight

Drag

So how does the wing create lift?

A wing is shaped so that as it moves through the air, it changes the airflow and creates a pressure difference, while also deflecting air downward.

The result is an upward aerodynamic force: lift.

The important thing is that the airplane needs air moving over the wing.

An airplane basically rotates around three axes

Pitch — nose moves up/down
Roll — wings tilt left/right
Yaw — nose moves left/right

The pilot controls these primarily with three control surfaces

Control surface	Controls
Elevator	Pitch
Ailerons	Roll
Rudder	Yaw

So when you’re sitting in the cockpit

Yoke/stick: primarily controls pitch and roll
Rudder pedals: control yaw
Throttle: controls engine power

Flaps — they help the airplane generate more lift at lower speeds, particularly during takeoff and landing.