Plain English Meaning

The basic, physical skills of actually flying the airplane by hand — using the controls smoothly and accurately to make the airplane do what you want.

Full Definition

The hands-on flying skills used to physically control the airplane's attitude, flight path, and coordination through direct manipulation of the primary flight controls — the control yoke or stick (which moves the ailerons and elevator) and the rudder pedals (which move the rudder). These skills include maintaining pitch, bank, and yaw control during maneuvers such as , landings, , , , , and .