Aircraft Control Surfaces are the adjustable surfaces attached to the tail or back edges of the wings, stabilizer and tail sections of all fixed wing aircraft. The control surfaces are adjusted by the pilot of the aircraft to control the the longitudinal, vertical and lateral axes of the aircraft during all phases of flight. They are essentially the steering mechanism of the aircraft. The primary group of control surfaces found on all conventional small and general aviation aircraft are: The ailerons typically positioned on the outward area of the wing’s back edges and control the longitudinal axis. The next is the elevator located on the back edge of the horizontal stabilizer which acts to control the pitch or the lateral axis of the aircraft. And lastly, the rudder. The rudder controls the yaw or vertical axis of the aircraft and is located at the back or trailing edge of the tail fin.