01 Effects of Controls
CASA Recreational Pilot License (Aeroplane) — Lesson 1.
The aim of this lesson is for the student to identify the primary and secondary effects of each main control surface, recognise the role of the ancillary controls, and experience how power and slipstream change control effectiveness. This is the foundation lesson — understanding what the aeroplane does in response to each control input underpins all subsequent flying skills.
Theory Brief — Part 1: Primary and Secondary Effects of Controls
Section titled “Theory Brief — Part 1: Primary and Secondary Effects of Controls”The three axes of flight (pitch, roll and yaw) and the primary and secondary effects of the elevator, ailerons and rudder. View the slides on this page below or open the slides directly.
Theory Brief — Part 2: Ancillary Controls, Power and the Slipstream
Section titled “Theory Brief — Part 2: Ancillary Controls, Power and the Slipstream”Ancillary controls (throttle, flaps and trim), and how power and the propeller’s slipstream change the effectiveness of each main control. View the slides on this page below or open the slides directly.
Pre-flight brief
Section titled “Pre-flight brief”Short brief immediately before the flight (~0.3 hr): risk analysis (I’M SAFE, PAVE), see-and-avoid, control handover, and today’s sequence. View the slides on this page below or open the slides directly.
In-flight notes
Section titled “In-flight notes”Instructor kneeboard reference for the airborne sequence. These use a portrait layout for easier use on a kneeboard or device. View the slides on this page on the right or open the slides directly, or download the PDF of the in-flight notes to print or use on your device offline.
Post-flight debrief
Section titled “Post-flight debrief”TODO
Useful resources for students
Section titled “Useful resources for students”- The NZ Civil Aviation Authority has a one-page whiteboard summary of effects of control that is handy to give the student after the lesson.
- The FAA Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge Chapter 6: Flight Controls covers the primary and secondary effects in depth and is freely available online.
Example email to students before the lesson
Section titled “Example email to students before the lesson”If you are an instructor, feel free to modify this for your own use. Sending an email a few days before a lesson is a great way to engage people in the learning before they even arrive (if they have time and capacity).
Subject: Your initial flight training this [day]
Good morning/afternoon [name]!
I just wanted to give you a bit of information about your first day of flight training this [day].
We’ll be learning about how we control the aeroplane in flight — that is, what controls we have available to us, and the effect that those controls have on the plane. We do this lesson first because understanding the controls and their effects forms the basis of your safe flying throughout your training and beyond.
We’ll be doing two short theory sessions (around half an hour) before our flight brief and heading out to the plane.
If you’re keen to learn before [day] (and have time!), I’ve included a few links below which introduce the same theory (and demonstrate it in practice in the plane), but it’s not required — no stress. We’ll also be using the briefings from Open Aviation Solutions which you can work through beforehand if you’d like [3].
See you [day],
— Michael
[1] FAA Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge — Chapter 6: Flight Controls — covers much of what we’ll learn (and a lot more, so don’t feel you need to understand it all yet).
[2] GoFly — Effects of Controls — an Australian flight-training company’s free intro video, a good alternative if you prefer watching something.