← All explained questions · Aircraft Structure, Systems and Powerplants

Which control surface on the empennage controls the airplane’s pitch?

Choices

  • The rudder

    The rudder controls yaw, not pitch.

  • ✓ The elevatorcorrect

    The elevator on the horizontal stabilizer controls pitch.

  • The ailerons

    Ailerons are on the wings and control roll, and are not part of the empennage.

  • The flaps

    Flaps are wing devices that change lift and drag, not empennage pitch controls.

Why

The empennage includes the horizontal stabilizer and its elevator, which controls pitch, and the vertical stabilizer and its rudder, which controls yaw.

FAA source: PHAK Ch. 6browse the reference library →

This is taught in Airframe and the Four-Stroke Engine — study the lessons free, then practice with grading and mastery tracking.

Original study question written for this course — representative of FAA knowledge-test topics, not an actual current FAA exam question.

Which control surface on the empennage controls the airplane’s pitch? · PPL Free Ground School