Plain English Meaning

A bouncing or porpoising motion the pilot accidentally creates by over-correcting on the controls. Each correction comes a beat too late and is too strong, so the aircraft swings the other way, and the next correction makes it worse.

Full Definition

Unintended back-and-forth aircraft movements (typically in pitch) that result from the pilot's own control inputs becoming out of phase with the aircraft's response. Each correction overshoots, leading to an opposite correction that also overshoots, producing a worsening oscillation rather than a stable recovery.

Context Anchor

Seen in discussions of aircraft handling problems, including tailplane icing and , where may unusual or unstable.