AER1202 Advanced Flight Dynamics

Dynamics, Stability and Simulation · Graduate course · University of Toronto · Fall 2026

This graduate course covers fixed-wing aircraft flight dynamics, with a focus on stability and control. It develops a complete skill set for fixed-wing flight simulation, stability analysis, and flight-control design, with an emphasis on state-space control methods and Simulink-based simulation.

On completing the course, students are able to perform quantitative analysis of an aircraft’s dynamic behaviour and carry out the systematic design of flight-control systems that improve its dynamic performance.

Instructor Dr. Longhao Qian · longhao.qian@mail.utoronto.ca
Lectures Wednesdays, 14:00–17:00, AS158
Term Fall 2026, September 16 to December 16

Course structure

The lectures progress from flight dynamics and classical control, through Simulink simulation and state-space control design, to trajectory control and state estimation.

Course content distribution: flight dynamics and classic flight control methods (Lectures 01-04), Simulink hands-on training (Lecture 05), key control strategies of pole placement, LQR and LQT (Lectures 06-08), and advanced applications in flight path control and state estimation (Lectures 9-11).
Content distribution across the eleven lectures.

The lectures build the components of a complete closed-loop flight-control system around a full nonlinear aircraft simulation.

Closed-loop block diagram: a reference signal generator (Lecture 09) feeds the linearized control systems (Lectures 03, 04, 06-08); their linear control inputs are summed with the trim input to drive the full nonlinear aircraft dynamics simulation (Lectures 01-02, 05 and the project); a state estimator (Lecture 10) feeds estimated aircraft states back to the controller.
Purpose of the course: closing the loop, with the lecture that covers each block.

Course materials

  • Syllabus: learning goals, prerequisites, grading, timetable, and course policies.
  • Lectures: slide decks for each weekly lecture.
  • Tutorials: tutorial slide decks.
  • Readings: the course textbook and the reference handouts.

Assignments, submissions, grades, and announcements are managed through Quercus and are not posted on this site. Office hours are arranged on request by email, and Quercus is the preferred channel for course communication.

Acknowledgement

The slides and handouts on this site were developed with reference to course materials by Professor Hugh H. T. Liu, author of the course textbook, Analytical Aircraft Flight.