Yaw

Yaw is the rotation of the aircraft around its vertical (normal) axis, causing the nose to swing left or right. Yaw is controlled primarily by the rudder on the vertical stabilizer.

Yaw applications in flight:

• Crosswind correction during takeoff and landing
• Coordinated turns (preventing slip or skid)
• Asymmetric thrust compensation (engine failure)
• Spin recovery

The three axes of aircraft rotation are: pitch (lateral axis, controlled by elevator), roll (longitudinal axis, controlled by ailerons), and yaw (vertical axis, controlled by rudder). A yaw damper is an automatic system that prevents Dutch roll oscillations at high altitude.