What is the pitch of a aeroplane?
The pitch of an aeroplane is the angle at which it climbs or
descends. Pilots control the aircraft with a control column or a
"stick". When they move the column to the rear, we say that we
"pitch the nose of the aircraft up", meaning it is now climbing.
Likewise, if a pilot says "pitch the nose down", it means the
column must be pushed forward to achieve a descent attitude. The
control column is connected to the elevator (on the tail of the
aeroplane). This acts as a tab that when "pitched up" it moves
down, increasing the angle of attack on the tail, and generates
more lift so that the aircraft cn climb. A trim tab is attached to
the elevator which can be adjusted to match the amount of pressure
put on the control column. By adjusting this, the pilot can let go
off th control column and th aircraft will continue to fly in the
same heading and pitch as it was left.