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170 GLOSSARY
Figure G.1: The flight dynamics of an aircraft. Thanks to Wikipedia contributor ZeroOne for
releasing the image under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. [Full size →]
airplanes have either a joystick or a yoke to control them, while helicopters are controlled with
joysticks only.
Rotor: The rotating part of a helicopter that generates the craft’s lift; similar in appearance to
an oversized airplane propeller, though different in its operation.
Rudder pedals: Foot pedals in an airplane used to steer the plane down the runway and to
control its yaw motion in flight (that is, the wagging of its tail left or right). This becomes very
useful when starting turns and counter-acting crosswinds. Note that these are not spelled “petals,”
as they are not named after the fragile leaves of a flower.
Yoke: The yoke, named after a wooden device draped across oxen to tow things, is the “steering
wheel” of the airplane. It is used to steer the plane in flight by dipping the wings up or down and
by pulling the nose up and pushing it down. Note that this is not spelled “yolk,” as it is not named
after the center of an egg.
G.3 Movement of an Aircraft
Pitch: Movement of the aircraft’s nose up or down (illustrated in Figure G.1).
Roll: Movement of the aircraft’s body along the line formed by its body; in an airplane, this is
easily seen as the dip or rise of the wings (illustrated in Figure G.1).
Yaw: Movement of the aircraft’s body left or right, most easily pictured as a wagging of the
aircraft’s tail (illustrated in Figure G.1).