Plain English Meaning

Flying the airplane by hand, using the basic flight controls, instead of letting the autopilot do it.

Full Definition

Stick-and-rudder refers to the manual flying skills used to control an aircraft directly through its primary flight controls — the control stick or yoke (which moves the elevator and ailerons) and the rudder pedals (which move the rudder). The term describes hand-flying the aircraft using physical inputs and outside visual references, rather than relying on autopilot or other automation.

Context Anchor

Seen in discussions of automation, manual flying skill, flight training, and maintaining control if an autopilot or other is not being used.