Introduction

Principles of Flight – Stability introduces students to how an aircraft maintains balance in the air. In this lesson, you’ll discover how the three axes of flight, static and dynamic stability, pitching moments, and the types of stability (longitudinal, directional, and lateral) all work together to keep an aircraft controllable and safe.

You’ll learn why a stable aircraft naturally returns to its original position after being disturbed, and how different stability types affect flight. From the basics of static and dynamic stability, to understanding pitching moments and the roles of each axis, you’ll see how stability shapes both safe everyday flying and high-performance aerobatics.