An airplane in level flight is disturbed by a wind gust that pitches the nose up. Without any pilot input, the nose initially begins to move back down toward the original trimmed attitude. This behavior demonstrates which characteristic?

Correct answer: C. Positive static stability

Positive static stability is defined by the initial tendency of an airplane to return toward its original trimmed condition after being disturbed. Since the nose begins moving back toward level flight immediately after the gust, this is a demonstration of positive static stability, independent of whether the resulting oscillation eventually damps out (dynamic stability).