Definition
A cockpit control, typically a small wheel or hand lever mounted on the side panel, used by the pilot to steer the nose wheel during taxi, especially for sharp turns beyond the range provided by the rudder pedals.
Plain English
A small steering wheel or handle in the cockpit that the pilot uses to turn the front wheel of the airplane while taxiing on the ground.
Context Anchor
You encounter it during taxi, ramp movement, and ground handling in aircraft equipped with nose wheel steering.
Derivation
‘Tiller’ comes from the old word for the bar used to steer a boat’s rudder. Borrowed into aviation because the pilot uses a similar hand-operated lever to steer the nose wheel on the ground.
Why Pilots Care
Provides precise directional control at low speeds where rudder effectiveness is minimal, reducing reliance on differential braking and minimizing tire wear.
Intuition Check
Do not think of the tiller as a flight control. It steers the aircraft on the ground; it does not control the aircraft in the air.
Example Sentence 1
While taxiing toward the gate, the captain used the nose wheel steering tiller to make the sharp left turn onto the ramp.
Example Sentence 2
During the after-landing checklist the captain transferred control of the nose wheel steering tiller to the first officer for the long taxi back.