The horizontal stabiliser helps maintain an airplane's equilibrium and stability in flight. It does so by providing a mini wing at a certain distance from the main wings (typically at the back, although it can also be positioned at the from of the aircraft). This smaller wing produces enough lift to control the pitch of the aircraft and maintain its stability. Although an aircraft without a horizontal stabiliser could, in principle, fly with wings only, controlling its pitch and airspeed would be difficult, as pitch and, subsequently, airspeed can be easily disturbed by air conditions: as soon as the aircraft pitches up, the tendency is to continue pitching up even further and decrease airspeed; and as soon as the aircraft pitches down, the tendency then is to continue pitching down even further and increase airspeed. An aircraft with a horizontal stabiliser, however, could be flown hand-offs (once correctly trimmed) without affecting its pitch and speed.