Using the Ailerons

A pilot begins a turn by operating the plane’s ailerons. The aileron panels work by tilting up and down. As the aileron in one of the wings tilts up, the aileron in the other wing tilts down. When an aileron is tilted up, it makes its wing lose
lift (the aerodynamic force that pulls it upward), and the wing tips down. In the other wing, the aileron that is tilted down creates more lift, and so the wing rises. The aircraft banks (rolls over to one side) like a bicycle leaning into a turn.

When an airplane flies straight and level, the lift produced by its wings acts straight upward. When an aircraft banks, the lift’s direction tilts with the plane. It acts upward and also to one side. It is this sideways part of the force that pulls the airplane around into a turn.

Using the ailerons alone, however, is not enough to make a smooth turn. The rudder has to be used, too.