Certified Flight Instructor - Flight Instructor Airplane Practice Exam

What action is necessary to make an aircraft turn effectively?

1. Yaw the aircraft

2. Change the direction of lift

3. Change the direction of thrust

4. Apply differential thrust on the wings

The correct answer is: Change the direction of lift

To make an aircraft turn effectively, changing the direction of lift is essential. When a pilot wants to initiate a turn, they bank the aircraft by using ailerons to tilt the wings. This action reduces the vertical component of lift while creating a horizontal component that acts towards the center of the turn. By altering the direction of lift, the aircraft is able to follow a curved path rather than continuing in a straight line. This is a fundamental aerodynamic principle that enables controlled and efficient turns. While yawing is a component of controlling the aircraft's direction, it is not the primary action that facilitates a turn in a conventional sense. Similarly, changing the direction of thrust can be a factor in turning, particularly in jet-powered aircraft that utilize thrust vectoring, but it is not the main method for inducing a turn. Differential thrust can also aid in turning, especially in twin-engine aircraft, but again, the primary method for effective turns in most aircraft relies on altering the direction of lift by banking the wings.