What are the three axes of flight?

• A. Longitudinal, lateral, and vertical
• B. Pitch, roll, yaw
• C. Forward, sideways, up
• D. Nose-to-tail, wing-to-wing, up-down

Answer: (A)

The three axes of flight are the lines about which an airplane rotates: the longitudinal axis runs from nose to tail, the lateral axis runs from wingtip to wingtip, and the vertical axis runs from top to bottom. These axes correspond to the three rotational movements: pitch happens about the lateral axis, roll about the longitudinal axis, and yaw about the vertical axis. Elevators control pitch, ailerons control roll, and the rudder controls yaw. The other options describe rotations, directions, or informal descriptions, but not the standard axis names.