SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/aero-ailerons-opposite

When a pilot rolls into a turn, how do the two ailerons move?

In opposite directions: one up, one down.

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  1. Both move up together
  2. In opposite directions, one up and one down ✔
  3. Both move down together

Why: The aileron that goes down adds lift to that wing, and the one that goes up reduces lift on the other. The difference rolls the airplane.

Huh, didn't know that: Ailerons sit on the outer part of each wing's trailing edge.

The dad joke
Why do ailerons never agree? They always see things from opposite sides.
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References

Answer: In opposite directions, one up and one down. The aileron that goes down adds lift to that wing, and the one that goes up reduces lift on the other. The difference rolls the airplane.

  1. FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C) www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/faa-h-8083-25c.pdf
    are attached to the outboard trailing edge of each wing and move in the opposite direction from each other.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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