aviation basics

Are you talking about something like a fighter aircraft? The control stick controls the elevators. It's sometimes also called a center stick, side stick, or just plain stick.

Other jet aircraft use a yoke to do the same thing, such as with a military cargo planes.

It's the stick to the right of the seat. It controls pitch (nose up/down) and roll. Yes it has foot pedals.







http://falcon4.wikidot.com/avionics:cockpit

Quick note: Instruments tell you things. Controls do things.

vigeo said:

Any USAF or Navy fighter aircraft, but the F16 Falcon in particular. I have so far "control stick" in my story. Do military aircraft have the foot pedals for directional changes like the passenger airplanes?

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Yes, to control the rudder(s) and also to steer the front wheel(s) when on the ground, however it's not like a boat where the rudder does basically determine the direction. It's more complicated in an aircraft since an airplane operates in a three-dimensional control environment; a pilot uses a combination of ailerons, rudder, and elevators (and possibly throttle) to execute a turn properly.

You might want to study the very basics of aircraft control. I'm sure you can find a short tutorial online (maybe even on YouTube).

And yes, I used to fly (single engine Cessnas for the most part).

The pilot may also need to change the throttle setting during a climb, depending on the initial speed and power settings. There may be other control inputs required as well, depending on the exact maneuvor performed.

Read these wiki pages for a quick tutorial on some of the basics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_flight_control_system

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_control_surfaces

You may also find the wiki page on the F 16 helpful.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-16_Fighting_Falcon