Elevator

Elevator is the movable control surface attached to the trailing edge of the horizontal stabilizer. Deflecting the elevator changes the aerodynamic force on the tail, pitching the aircraft nose up or down.

• Pulling back on the control column: Elevator deflects up — nose pitches up
• Pushing forward: Elevator deflects down — nose pitches down

Some aircraft use a stabilator (all-moving horizontal stabilizer) instead of a separate stabilizer and elevator. Modern fly-by-wire aircraft use computers to translate pilot inputs into appropriate elevator deflections.