“Elevator”…Let me see if I got this right…Pull back to go up… push forward to go down… keep pulling back and you go down. [;)]
“flippers?” Isn’t that a bit archaic? There have been quite a few advances in aviation technology since then. Although I do like avoiding the term ‘elevator’ (Yikes- better not start these conversations again!) because it begs the question: “So, it makes the plane go up and down?”
Marty,
Alas, the terms for an elevator in French (ascenseur) or in German (Hohenruder) contribute to the same misconception. The term “elevator” actually antedates Langewiesche’s term “flipper” — the latter never caught on. So I guess we’ll have to stick with this http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2968176.stmcurious and misleading terminology.
Cheers,
Roger