The term for rotation about the vertical axis is:

The term for rotation about the vertical axis is:

• A. Yaw
• B. Pitch
• C. Roll
• D. Bank

Answer: (A)

Yaw is the rotation about the vertical axis. The vertical axis runs top to bottom through the aircraft, so when the nose points toward a different direction without changing its tilt or bank, that turning in heading is yaw. In a helicopter this is controlled with the tail rotor or anti-torque system using the pedals, which rotates the aircraft around that vertical line. Pitch, by contrast, is the nose-up or nose-down rotation around the lateral axis (left-to-right axis), affecting climb or descent. Roll is the rotation around the longitudinal axis (front-to-back axis), causing the wings to tilt, which sets up a turn. Bank describes that tilt angle itself, not the rotation about the vertical axis.

Yaw is the rotation about the vertical axis. The vertical axis runs top to bottom through the aircraft, so when the nose points toward a different direction without changing its tilt or bank, that turning in heading is yaw. In a helicopter this is controlled with the tail rotor or anti-torque system using the pedals, which rotates the aircraft around that vertical line.

Pitch, by contrast, is the nose-up or nose-down rotation around the lateral axis (left-to-right axis), affecting climb or descent. Roll is the rotation around the longitudinal axis (front-to-back axis), causing the wings to tilt, which sets up a turn. Bank describes that tilt angle itself, not the rotation about the vertical axis.