Certified Flight Instructor - Flight Instructor Airplane Practice Exam

As a result of gyroscopic precession, what occurs with yawing around the vertical axis?

1. Results in a rolling moment

2. Results in a pitching moment

3. Results in a yawing moment

4. Results in a drag moment

The correct answer is: Results in a pitching moment

Gyroscopic precession is an important principle in flight dynamics that relates to the behavior of a spinning object when it experiences a force. In an aircraft, when a yawing motion occurs around the vertical axis, the effects of gyroscopic precession can lead to unintended movements. When a force is applied to a spinning gyroscope, such as the airplane's propeller or rotor, the resulting reaction that occurs from this force does not happen in the direction of the applied force but rather 90 degrees in the direction of rotation. For aircraft, this means that if the aircraft yaws (turns) left or right, the change in the direction of the propeller or rotor's force creates a response that produces a pitching motion instead. This means that when yaw is initiated, the gyroscopic effect will result in a moment that causes the nose of the airplane to pitch up or down depending on the direction of the yaw. This interaction emphasizes the coupling between axis motions and the need for the pilot to control the aircraft's orientation carefully in response to these dynamic forces. Understanding this relationship between yawing and the pitching moment is critical for maintaining control of the aircraft, especially during maneuvers that involve coordinated turns or when responding to other aerodynamic forces. Recognizing