The longitudinal axis controls which motion most directly?

• A. Roll
• B. Pitch
• C. Yaw
• D. Altitude

Answer: (A)

Movement about the longitudinal axis is roll. The longitudinal axis runs from nose to tail, so rotating around it tilts the wings—this banking motion is called roll. The primary surface that controls this is the ailerons, which cause one wing to rise while the other falls, changing the bank angle.

In contrast, pitch is rotation about the lateral axis (nose up or down, controlled mainly by the elevator), and yaw is rotation about the vertical axis (nose left or right, controlled mainly by the rudder). Altitude isn’t a rotation at all—it’s vertical position, influenced by thrust and climb/descent, not by rotation about an axis.