Anytime the aircraft changes in-flight attitude, it is moving about one or more of these axes.

Aircraft have three axes of rotation:

 the lateral axis,

 longitudinal axis,
 Vertical axis.

The lateral axis is an imaginary line from wing tip to wing tip for an airplane. The rotation
around this axis is called pitch. Pitch is controlled by the elevators, and this rotation is referred
to as longitudinal control or longitudinal stability.
 The longitudinal axis is an imaginary line from the nose to the tail. Rotation around the
longitudinal axis is called roll. Roll is controlled by the ailerons, and this rotation is referred to
as lateral control or lateral stability.
The vertical axis is an imaginary line extending vertically through the intersection of the lateral
and longitudinal axes. Rotation about the vertical axis is called yaw. Yaw is controlled by
the rudder, and this rotation is referred to as directional control or directional stability.