Definition
A rigid metal rod used in a mechanical flight control system to transmit pilot input from the cockpit controls to a flight control surface by pushing or pulling along its length.
Plain English
A stiff metal rod that connects the pilot's controls to the moving parts of the airplane. When the pilot moves the yoke or stick, the rod pushes or pulls to move a control surface like an aileron or elevator.
Context Anchor
Seen in mechanical flight control diagrams and during inspection of the linkages between the pilot’s controls and the parts of the airplane that move.
Derivation
Combines 'push' (exerting force by pressing) and 'rod' (a straight rigid bar). The name underscores the rod's ability to transmit pushing forces, unlike flexible cables that can only pull.
Why Pilots Care
Provides precise, direct control input without stretch or slack, ensuring reliable response of flight controls.
Intuition Check
Do not think of a push rod as something the pilot directly pushes by hand. In this context, it is a hidden control-system part that can transmit both a push and a pull.
Example Sentence 1
When the pilot moves the control yoke, a push rod transfers that movement to the elevator at the tail.
Example Sentence 2
Moving the control yoke forward transmits force through the push rod to lower the elevator.