What is adverse yaw?

Adverse yaw refers specifically to the phenomenon where an aircraft yaws in the opposite direction of a turn during the bank in a turn. This occurs primarily due to differences in lift and drag experienced on the wings when ailerons are used to initiate a turn. When a pilot rolls into a turn using the ailerons, the aileron that goes down increases lift on that wing but also increases induced drag. Conversely, the aileron that goes up decreases lift and drag on that side. The result is a yawing motion that tends to push the aircraft's nose away from the direction of the turn, necessitating input from the pilot to counteract this effect—often using rudder input. Understanding adverse yaw is crucial for pilots to maintain coordinated flight, especially during turns.