Definition
Devices installed on a parked airplane that physically restrain the flight controls (ailerons, elevator, and rudder) to prevent them from being moved by wind gusts while the airplane is on the ground. Common types include an internal pin or yoke clamp inside the cockpit and external surface clamps or gust locks fitted directly to the control surfaces.
Plain English
Simple locks or clamps that hold the airplane's control surfaces still when it is parked, so wind cannot bang them around and damage them.
Context Anchor
Seen during engine shutdown and aircraft securing, and checked again before flight to make sure they have been removed.
Why Pilots Care
Prevents wind gusts from damaging control surfaces, hinges, or linkages when the aircraft is left unattended on the ramp.
Analogy
Similar to locking a car's steering wheel so it cannot turn while parked.
Intuition Check
Control locks are not used to help control the airplane in flight. They deliberately stop the controls from moving and belong only when the airplane is parked.
Example Sentence 1
After shutdown, the pilot installed the control locks and chocked the wheels before leaving the airplane on the ramp.
Example Sentence 2
During the preflight walk-around the pilot removed the control locks and stowed them in the baggage compartment.