Definition
The position of an aircraft relative to the horizon, described by its pitch (nose up or down) and bank (wings tilted left or right). Aircraft attitudes are what the pilot establishes and controls to make the airplane climb, descend, turn, or fly straight and level.
Plain English
How the airplane is oriented in the sky — whether the nose is pointing up, down, or level, and whether the wings are tilted or flat — at any given moment.
Context Anchor
You will hear this during flight instruction when an instructor describes or demonstrates how the airplane should be positioned for straight-and-level flight, climbs, descents, and turns.
Derivation
From the everyday word 'attitude,' which originally meant the position or posture of a body. In aviation, it kept that older meaning — the airplane's posture in the air — rather than the modern emotional sense.
Why Pilots Care
Maintaining correct attitude keeps the aircraft in controlled flight and on the desired path; incorrect attitude quickly leads to altitude loss or spatial disorientation.
Intuition Check
Do not read attitude here as mood or behavior. In aviation, aircraft attitudes means the airplane’s physical position compared with the horizon.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor demonstrated several aircraft attitudes — a gentle climb, a level turn, and a shallow descent — so the student could see how each one looked outside the windscreen.
Example Sentence 2
In the turn, the pilot maintained a constant bank attitude while adjusting pitch to hold altitude.