Plain English Meaning

The moving panels on the wings and tail that the pilot uses to make the airplane turn, climb, descend, or hold steady. When the pilot moves the controls in the cockpit, these panels move and change how the air flows around the airplane.

Full Definition

The movable, hinged sections of an airplane's wings and tail used by the pilot to control the aircraft's attitude and direction of flight. The primary control surfaces are the ailerons (roll), elevator (pitch), and rudder (yaw). Secondary control surfaces include , , , and , which assist or the effects of the primary surfaces.