How It Works: Yaw Damper

Friday, October 06, 2017 at 11:30 PM ET

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A) The soul of a yaw damper rests with rudder servos, accelerometers and rate sensors, often located in the tail of the airplane. B) In most aircraft, the yaw damper sensors are constantly talking back and forth to the primary onboard reference system, such as the ADAHRS. C) The yaw damper on some aircraft turns on and off automatically, making it one more thing the PIC need not worry about forgetting. Illustration by Tim Barker

Key Takeaways:

A yaw damper automatically applies rudder inputs to stabilize an aircraft around its vertical axis, mitigating "fishtailing" and preventing dangerous "Dutch roll" oscillations in swept-wing aircraft.
Operation varies from automatic engagement/disengagement in modern aircraft to manual pilot control, often for transport category aircraft, to ensure pilot authority during critical phases like takeoff and landing.
While promoting coordinated turns and passenger comfort, reliance on a yaw damper can diminish a pilot's manual rudder skills when transitioning to aircraft without the system.

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In its most basic form, a yaw damper inhibits movement of an aircraft around its vertical axis, performing like an automated set of feet on the rudder pedals.