The Controls

A helicopter has four main controls: throttle, cyclic control, foot controls (to control torque), and collective. The pilot uses the throttle to control the speed of the engine. By moving the cyclic control lever or control column, the pilot can alter the tilt of the rotor blades. For example, pushing the stick forward tilts the rotor forward, and the helicopter flies forward.

The pilot uses foot pedals to turn the helicopter by altering the pitch of the tail rotor blades, which swings the tail around. The collective pitch stick or lever is used to control the angle, or pitch, of the rotor blades. This action affects the amount of lift generated and thus makes the helicopter fly up or down, or causes it to hover.