Aircraft attitude is used to mean two closely related aspects of the situation of an aircraft in flight.

In the simplest use it is the orientation of an aircraft with respect to the horizon. This is a function of two angles: pitch and roll. The pitch angle specifies the orientation of the aircraft's longitudinal axis, that is, whether the nose is pointing upwards, is level to the horizon, or is pointing downwards. The roll angle specifies whether the aircraft is banked left or right, or whether its wings are parallel to the horizon. The pilot adjusts the controls (the stick or the yoke) to adjust the aircraft attitude in order to keep the aircraft on course or turn or change altitude. Orientation can refer to different things. ... An aircraft is any machine capable of atmospheric flight. ... Horizon The horizon is the line that separates earth from sky. ... This article is about angles in geometry. ... A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ... A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ... The term, longitudinal means front-to-back or top-to-bottom as opposed to transverse which means side-to-side. In automotive engineering, the term, longitudinal refers to an engine in which the crankshaft is oriented along the long axis of the vehicle, front to back. ... The axis of rotation of a rotating body is a line such that the distance between any point on the line and any point of the body remains constant under the rotation. ... A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ... A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ... A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ... A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ... The term Parallel has a number of important meanings: Parallel (geometry) occurs in geometry. ...

Aircraft attitude is used to describe the more complex relation of an aircraft to its surroundings, particularly airflow and gravity. This takes into account the settings of other flight controls such as the rudder, engine power, flaps or slats and also airflow. Thus an aircraft can be described as being in a climb attitude or a spin attitude, which implies more than simply nose up or nose down. Aircraft flight controls allow a pilot to guide his plane to the destination. ... A rudder is a device used to steer a ship or other watercraft. ... Flaps are hinged surfaces on the trailing edge of an airplane wing which, when deployed, increase the lift (and drag) of a wing. ... Slats are small aerodynamic surfaces on the leading edge of an airplane wing which, when deployed, allow the wing to operate at a higher angle of attack. ...

List of possible attitudes

• straight and level (cruise)
• climbing
• descending
• takeoff
• land

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Turns

• coordinated banked turn
• climbing coordinated banked turn
• descending coordinated banked turn
• slipping turn
• skidding turn

Unusual attitudes

• stall
• spin

Simple Definition: An aircraft in flight is usually not pointed directly into the oncoming airflow. ... In flying, a spin is a special case of a stall. ...

See also

• airplane compass turns
• attitude control (spacecraft)
• flight dynamics