They all have two sets. What if one breaks?
All current airliners have two sets of controls that are active at the same time. The pilots are supposed to confer and decide who is "pilot flying" (on the controls) and who is "pilot monitoring" (checking the instruments, navigation, radio, etc).
Boeing and Airbus are different layouts:
On Boeing each pilot has a huge control column in front of them, on Airbus each pilot has a "sidestick" mounted at the side of the cockpit.
Both have foot pedals under the dashboard for rudder controls.
They are both fly-by-wire, and the column/stick input is based on the force the pilot is exerting, not the distance moved (unlike a PC joystick).
They have force-feedback systems so the pilots can "feel" how the aircraft is responding, though presumably the feel of each is somewhat different.
Some have criticised the Airbus design because each pilot can't necessarily see what the other is doing with their stick, and remind each other who is supposed to be flying the plane.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
