The elevator controls movement about which axis?

• A. Vertical axis
• B. Yaw axis
• C. Pitch axis
• D. Roll axis

Answer: (C)

The elevator changes the aircraft’s pitch, which is rotation about the lateral (side-to-side) axis that runs wingtip to wingtip. By deflecting the elevator up or down on the horizontal stabilizer, the tail produces a different moment about that axis, tilting the nose up or down. Pulling back on the controls generally raises the nose (pitch up), while pushing forward lowers it (pitch down). The vertical axis controls yaw (left-right turning) and is managed by the rudder, while the roll axis (rotation to tilt the wings) is controlled by the ailerons. So the elevator’s job is movement about the pitch axis.