Definition
A control input technique in which aileron is applied in one direction while opposite rudder is applied at the same time, so the airplane is rolled toward one wing while the nose is yawed toward the other. Used deliberately during a slip to increase drag and steepen the descent without increasing airspeed.
Plain English
Holding the stick or yoke toward one side while pushing the rudder pedal on the other side, so the controls are working against each other on purpose.
Context Anchor
Seen in intentional slips, crosswind landings, and warnings about uncoordinated flight near a stall.
Derivation
Cross' here means the controls are crossed over rather than coordinated together. In normal flight, aileron and rudder are used on the same side to keep the airplane balanced; in cross-controlling, they are split across opposite sides.
Why Pilots Care
It lets the pilot lose altitude quickly without gaining airspeed and helps keep the fuselage aligned with the runway in a crosswind.
Grounding Statement
In an intentional slip, one control tilts the airplane while the opposite rudder keeps the nose from simply following that tilt into a normal turn.
Intuition Check
Cross-controlling does not mean rough or confused control use. It means using aileron and rudder in opposite directions, either deliberately or by mistake.
Example Sentence 1
To hold the runway centerline in the crosswind, the pilot lowered the upwind wing with aileron and used opposite rudder to keep the nose straight, cross-controlling the airplane through the flare.
Example Sentence 2
During the crosswind landing, the student applied light cross-controlling to keep the nose straight down the runway.