What are the two types of stability in aviation?

The two types of stability in aviation are dynamic and static stability.

Static stability refers to the initial tendency of an aircraft to return to its original position after a disturbance. This involves looking at how the aircraft behaves immediately after it is perturbed from a level flight, such as when an external force nudges it off its flight path. If the aircraft tends to return to its original position, it is considered statically stable.

Dynamic stability, on the other hand, describes how an aircraft behaves over time after being disturbed. This includes the way oscillations may decay, remain constant, or amplify over time if the aircraft is disturbed. An aircraft can be statically stable but dynamically unstable if, after a disturbance, it oscillates increasingly with time rather than settling back to a steady flight path.

Understanding both types of stability is crucial for pilots as it impacts how the aircraft responds to inputs and disturbances during flight.