Definition
The skill of using the flight controls — ailerons, elevator, and rudder — together in the correct amounts and at the correct times to change or maintain the airplane's attitude smoothly and without slipping or skidding. It is the foundation skill underlying turns, climbs, descents, and straight-and-level flight.
Plain English
Working all the flight controls together so the airplane goes where you want it to go in a smooth, balanced way — no skidding, slipping, or jerky movements.
Context Anchor
Seen in flight training syllabi when a student is learning basic control of the airplane in straight-and-level flight, climbs, descents, and turns.
Derivation
Coordinated' comes from the Latin co- ('together') and ordinare ('to arrange in order'). The flight controls are arranged together in the right order and proportion. 'Attitude' here is the aviation meaning — the airplane's orientation in space — not a state of mind.
Why Pilots Care
Uncoordinated control inputs waste energy, reduce climb performance, and at low airspeeds can lead to a stall-spin accident. Coordinated control is both a smoothness skill and a safety skill.
Analogy
It is like steering a bicycle while also leaning the right amount. If the steering and lean do not match, the ride feels awkward and unsteady.
Intuition Check
Do not read “attitude” as emotion or mindset here; it means the airplane’s position in the air. Do not read “coordinated” as merely “smooth”; it means the control inputs are working together correctly.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor demonstrated coordinated airplane attitude control by rolling smoothly into a turn while adding just enough rudder to keep the ball centered.
Example Sentence 2
Proper coordinated airplane attitude control during climbs prevents the airplane from yawing and keeps the flight path efficient.