When there is an excess of one of the forces, the airplane will _____ in the direction of the greatest force.

• A. Accelerate
• B. Descend
• C. Stall
• D. Turn

Answer: (A)

When forces are not balanced, the airplane accelerates in the direction of the resultant (the net force). In flight, lift, weight, thrust, and drag are the four forces. If one force becomes greater than its opposite, the net force points in that direction, and the airplane accelerates toward it. So if thrust exceeds drag, you accelerate forward; if weight exceeds lift, you accelerate downward; if lift exceeds weight, you accelerate upward. The idea is that acceleration follows the direction of the greater (net) force. Descending, stalling, or turning describe particular flight states that occur for specific imbalance scenarios, but the immediate motion from any excess is acceleration in the direction of that excess.