Definition
A control input in which the pilot moves the control yoke or stick forward, deflecting the elevator surface downward at the tail. This pitches the airplane's nose down, reducing the angle of attack. In stall and spin recovery, applying forward elevator (often called forward elevator pressure) is the primary action used to break the stall by lowering the nose and restoring smooth airflow over the wings.
Plain English
Pushing the control yoke forward to make the nose drop. It is the standard first step in getting out of a stall, because lowering the nose lets the wings start flying again.
Context Anchor
Seen in stall and spin recovery discussions, where the pilot may need to lower the nose to reduce the stall.
Derivation
Forward comes from the idea of moving toward the front. Elevator comes from a word meaning “to lift,” because the surface controls whether the nose lifts or lowers. In this term, “forward” describes the direction of the pilot’s control input, not the location of the elevator on the airplane.
Why Pilots Care
Correct forward elevator input breaks the stall quickly, restoring lift and preventing entry into a spin or excessive altitude loss.
Intuition Check
Do not read “forward elevator” as an elevator located at the front of the airplane. It means a forward movement of the elevator control that produces a nose-down effect.
Example Sentence 1
At the first indication of a stall, the pilot applied forward elevator to reduce the angle of attack and recover.
Example Sentence 2
After neutralizing the rudder in a spin, forward elevator is used to break the stall.