Dynamic Stability is the subsequent long-term response of an airplane to a disturbance to its equilibrium. It is the change to the stability of an airplane with the passage of time. Any disturbance causes changes to the aerodynamic forces and moments acting on the airplane that are complex, particularly if the displacement is to its directional stability because it affects the airplane in both the yawing and rolling planes.

An airplane that is statically stable is not necessarily dynamically stable. However, for an airplane to be dynamically stable it must be statically stable. In other words, it cannot have long-term stability without first having short-term stability. An airplane that has positive static stability may be dynamically neutral, stable, or unstable; but an airplane that is statically unstable can never attain dynamic stability. The dynamic stability of an airplane is dependent on the airplane design, its speed, and the altitude at which it is flying.