What control the airplanes?

Answer 1

The pilot and co-pilot. You may not see them, as they are way in front. On some big planes like the Boeing 747, need more than 2 people to fly the plane. When I was young, I thought the plane was driven by the computer, automatically, and it was smart enough to ensure that everyone is inside the plane, or know how to take off and land.

However, if you are talking about the airplane in the sky, sometimes there is a computer which flies the plane. the autopilot, especially on long flights. In case of emergency, the pilot/co-pilot will turn it off so they can fly how they want it to be. But the autopilot actually isn't that smart. It cannot avoid bad weather, or other incoming planes and other obstacles. The pilot has to control it manually.

Before the flight, the pilot must program the autopilot before it can fly. And believe me, it is a lot harder than it sounds. The pilot must program the right altitude, the right speed, the direction, and what angles the plane has to turn to stay on route.

So the pilot will usually fly the plane during take-off and landing, and can relax during the flight.

Hope this answers your question.