Definition
A primary teaching topic in early flight training that covers what each flight control does — how the ailerons, elevator (or stabilator), and rudder move the aircraft about its three axes, and how the throttle controls power. The instructor demonstrates and explains each control's purpose, the aircraft response it produces, and how the controls are used together in coordinated flight.
Plain English
It's the lesson where the student learns what each control in the cockpit actually does to the airplane — pull back and the nose goes up, push the rudder and the nose yaws, and so on.
Context Anchor
Encountered in basic flight training when an instructor introduces the yoke or stick, rudder pedals, and the way the airplane responds to each control input.
Why Pilots Care
Without clear understanding, a pilot cannot maintain controlled flight or correct deviations safely.
Grounding Statement
Each flight control has a specific job, and the airplane’s response should become predictable to the pilot.
Intuition Check
Do not read “function” as just the name or location of a control. Here it means the specific job that control does to change how the airplane moves.
Example Sentence 1
On the first training flight, the instructor covered the function of the flight controls before letting the student try gentle turns and climbs.
Example Sentence 2
Before takeoff the instructor reviewed the function of the flight controls to confirm the student understood how each surface affects the airplane.