Definition
The flight controls used by the pilot to manage the airplane's total energy — specifically the throttle, which controls thrust (and therefore the rate at which energy is added or removed), and the elevator, which controls pitch (and therefore how that energy is distributed between altitude and airspeed).
Plain English
The throttle and elevator, working together, are how the pilot manages the airplane's energy. The throttle decides how much energy the airplane has overall; the elevator decides whether that energy goes into climbing or into going faster.
Context Anchor
Seen when learning how throttle and elevator work together during climbs, descents, approaches, slow flight, and landing practice.
Derivation
Energy state' refers to the airplane's combined potential energy (altitude) and kinetic energy (airspeed) at any moment. The phrase points to the fact that altitude and speed are two forms of the same thing — energy — and that the throttle and elevator are the levers that control them.
Why Pilots Care
Correct use prevents low-energy conditions that lead to stalls or high-energy conditions that produce excessive speed or altitude deviations.
Grounding Statement
An airplane that is high and fast has more energy than one that is low and slow, and the pilot uses throttle and elevator to manage that condition.
Intuition Check
Energy state does not mean the airplane’s electrical power or the engine’s health. Controls does not mean only the stick or yoke here; it means the throttle and elevator being used together to manage speed and height.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor explained that the throttle and elevator are the two energy state controls, and learning to coordinate them is the foundation of good airmanship.
Example Sentence 2
During the go-around the pilot advanced the throttle and adjusted pitch to restore the desired energy state.