Definition 1 of 2
Definition
A vertical shaft or post mounted in the cockpit that the pilot moves to operate the aircraft's elevators and ailerons. The control column is topped with either a wheel (yoke) or a handgrip, and pulling, pushing, or rotating it transmits the pilot's inputs through cables, pushrods, or hydraulic systems to the control surfaces.
Plain English
The main steering post in front of the pilot's seat. Pulling it back or pushing it forward raises or lowers the nose, and turning or tilting it banks the aircraft left or right.
Context Anchor
Seen in cockpit layout, flight control, and aircraft handling discussions.
Derivation
From Latin columna, meaning 'pillar' or 'upright post.' The name describes its physical form: a vertical column rising from the cockpit floor that the pilot manipulates to control the aircraft.
Why Pilots Care
It is the primary flight control for attitude changes; loss of function immediately affects the ability to maintain or change altitude and heading.
Intuition Check
Do not read “column” here as a vertical list or a general set of cockpit controls. In this aviation use, the control column is the specific main hand control used to move the airplane in pitch and roll.
Example Sentence 1
During the preflight check, the pilot moved the control column through its full range to confirm the elevators and ailerons responded freely.
Example Sentence 2
During the stall recovery, the instructor had the student push the control column forward while adding full power.