Definition
The pilot's deliberate management of the airplane's pitch (nose up or down) and bank (wings tilted left or right) relative to the natural horizon, achieved through coordinated use of the flight controls to establish and maintain a desired flight path.
Plain English
Keeping the airplane pointed and tilted the way you want it by working the controls to set the nose position and the wing angle against the horizon.
Context Anchor
Used when learning straight-and-level flight, climbs, descents, turns, and recovery from an unusual airplane position.
Derivation
From the aviation use of 'attitude,' meaning the airplane's orientation in space (how its nose and wings are positioned relative to the horizon). 'Control' here means active management. Together: the active management of the airplane's orientation.
Why Pilots Care
Almost every maneuver in flying — climbs, descents, turns, level flight, approaches — comes down to setting and holding the right attitude. A pilot who controls attitude smoothly controls the airplane.
Intuition Check
Do not read “attitude” as emotional attitude here. In this context, attitude means the airplane’s physical position relative to the horizon.
Example Sentence 1
During the climb, the instructor demonstrated smooth attitude control by holding a steady pitch angle on the horizon.
Example Sentence 2
In moderate turbulence the student practiced attitude control to hold altitude within fifty feet.