The Four Fundamentals of Flight: Breaking Down the Basic Maneuvers in an Airplane

There are four fundamentals of flight that every student pilot learns at the beginning of flight school. These are the basic maneuvers that allow pilots to operate and control the airplane, and mastery of them is essential before learning more advanced maneuvers. Before diving deeper into these fundamentals, though, we must first understand the four forces of flight.

• Lift is an upward force that allows the airplane to leave the ground.

• Weight is the downward force of gravity.

• Thrust is the forward force pulling the airplane through the air.

• Drag is the rearward force caused by air resistance.

These forces influence the movement of an airplane and pilots manipulate them using controls to adjust altitude, speed, and direction.

This brings us back to the four fundamentals of flight, which we'll now discuss in more detail.

1. Straight-and-Level Flight

Straight-and-level flight is the most fundamental maneuver you’ll learn in flight school. It's simply maintaining a steady heading, altitude, and airspeed. Let's break it down. The pilot is flying in a straight line, so there are no turns. They’re also flying level, meaning there are no climbs or descents. 

This is where those forces of flight come into play. When flying straight and level without speeding up or slowing down, all four forces are in equilibrium. The wings generate just enough lift to support the weight of the airplane, so lift equals weight and the airplane maintains a constant altitude. At the same time, the engine works to produce just enough thrust to counteract the drag, so thrust equals drag and the airplane maintains a constant speed.

Straight-and-level flight is accomplished by visually referencing an object in the distance or a point on the horizon and making small, continuous corrections to account for wind or turbulence. Pilots make minor adjustments to the elevator and rudder to keep the nose pointed toward the reference point on the horizon, use the ailerons to keep the wings level, and adjust the throttle to maintain airspeed.

Mastering straight-and-level flight is crucial for several reasons. First, it teaches pilots how to use basic flight controls like the elevators, rudder, and ailerons. Second, it allows for fuel efficiency due to the reduced drag. But perhaps most importantly, many complex flight maneuvers begin with a straight and level configuration. So, a pilot cannot master the more advanced skills without first mastering straight-and-level flight.

2. Turns

A turn is a maneuver in which the airplane changes direction. To initiate a turn, pilots turn the yoke to the left or right to move the ailerons. One moves up and one moves down, causing the airplane to bank in the direction of the turn. At the same time, pilots use the rudder pedals to adjust the rudder and keep the nose pointed in the direction of the turn. To maintain altitude, pilots must also pull back on the yoke to adjust the elevator, lift the nose, and increase the angle of attack.

Banking the airplane tilts the total lift vector so it remains perpendicular to the wings. This effectively splits the total lift into two parts: a vertical component that opposes weight, and a new horizontal component that pulls the airplane into the turn. Because there is less vertical lift available to counteract the force of gravity, the pilot must increase the angle of attack (pitch) to maintain altitude. Further, centrifugal force increases the load factor and makes the airplane feel heavier. Although the actual weight of the airplane does not change, the apparent weight increase requires more lift to maintain a level flight path. 

The raised wing during the turn increases drag and causes the nose of the airplane to yaw away from the turn. To counter this, pilots adjust the rudder and add throttle to increase thrust and push the airplane through the turn.

Turns are a crucial part of a pilot’s flight training because they allow pilots to change direction, follow routes, and avoid restricted airspace or air traffic as they navigate to their final destination.

3. Climbs

Climbs are a gradual increase in altitude—like walking up a set of stairs! From straight and level, pilots pull back on the yoke to raise the nose to the desired pitch angle, add throttle to raise the power setting, then use the elevator trim to relieve pressure on the yoke. Together, these steps allow pilots to maintain a steady ascent to their desired altitude.

Similar to how lift is split into two components during a turn, weight is broken into two components during a climb. The first component opposes the lift force and the second acts in the same direction as drag. During a climb, thrust must be greater than drag in order for the airplane to overcome both the typical air resistance and the backward-acting component of its own weight. Since the weight is split in two, lift only needs to balance the weight component acting perpendicular to the flight path. Therefore, the total lift required is less than the total weight.

Climbs are an essential maneuver to master because they allow pilots to gain altitude and clear obstacles like terrain and buildings, which is especially important after takeoff. They also get an airplane to cruising altitude quickly, which saves fuel (and thus, money) because of the thinner air and weakened air resistance.

4. Descents

Opposite to climbs, descents are a gradual, controlled loss of altitude—like walking down a set of stairs. To descend from straight-and-level flight, a pilot first lowers the throttle to reduce power and slow the engine, then pushes on the yoke to lower the nose of the airplane. As the nose dips, airspeed increases, so pilots use drag devices like flaps and spoilers to create air resistance and slow the airplane to a manageable speed.

Weight again splits in two, but the second component now acts in the direction of thrust instead of drag. Because part of the weight component is now pulling the airplane along the flight path, thrust needs to be reduced by lowering the throttle—or setting it to idle—and letting gravity do the work. During descent, the lift vector tilts forward, reducing the force’s vertical component and leaving less lift to counteract weight, so the airplane is gradually pulled toward the ground. Drag is increased with the devices mentioned earlier, helping to counteract thrust and the forward-acting weight component and maintain a steady speed as the airplane descends.

The importance of mastering descents is clear: every flight must land eventually. Descents are necessary for getting an airplane from cruising altitude to the ground. Knowing when to begin a descent and how to comfortably glide toward landing with little to no engine power is also essential for fuel efficiency and cost-savings.

Practice the Four Fundamentals of Flight

Reading about flying is interesting, sure, but the best way to understand these concepts is to practice them for yourself! At AIRO, our certified flight instructors are ready and excited to help you master these fundamentals so you can take your piloting skills to the next level. You can get started today by booking a discovery flight at our Northwest Arkansas or Kansas City flight school and taking to the skies in an unforgettable first lesson in the pilot’s seat!