A thrust control assembly for an aircraft comprising; a hub ; a movable thrust control lever (12; 13, 26) which may be used by a pilot to contro the thrust of an engine of the aircraft when implementing at least one of forward and reverse thrust modes of the aircraft, wherein the thrust control lever (12; 13, 26) is coupled to the hub at least in the at least one of forward and reverse thrust modes of the aircraft such that movement of the lever (12; 13, 26) causes movement of the hub , and, conversely, movement of the hub may cause movement of the lever (12; 13, 26), wherein the position of the hub controls an amount of thrust of the engine when operating in the at least one of forward or reverse thrust modes; an auto-throttle actuator arranged to automatically move the hub for controlling the position of the hub to thereby control a forward thrust amount of the aircraft when the aircraft is operating in forward thrust mode in flight and an auto-throttle mode is enabled; and a balk application arrangement to provide, in response to a balk command received by the balk application arrangement to prohibit command of thrust in a balk direction corresponding to a or the given thrust direction which the thrust lever is operable to control, a balk force on the thrust lever (12; 13, 26) acting to oppose an attempt by the pilot to move the lever (12; 13, 26) in a direction so as to command or increase thrust in the balk direction, characterised in that : the balk application arrangement is arranged to control the auto-throttle actuator to provide the balk force on the thrust lever (12; 13, 26), and the balk force is in accordance with a balk feel characteristic profile , indicative of a desired dependence of balk force upon position of the thrust lever (12; 13, 26). a hub ; a movable thrust control lever (12; 13, 26) which may be used by a pilot to contro the thrust of an engine of the aircraft when implementing at least one of forward and reverse thrust modes of the aircraft, wherein the thrust control lever (12; 13, 26) is coupled to the hub at least in the at least one of forward and reverse thrust modes of the aircraft such that movement of the lever (12; 13, 26) causes movement of the hub , and, conversely, movement of the hub may cause movement of the lever (12; 13, 26), wherein the position of the hub controls an amount of thrust of the engine when operating in the at least one of forward or reverse thrust modes; an auto-throttle actuator arranged to automatically move the hub for controlling the position of the hub to thereby control a forward thrust amount of the aircraft when the aircraft is operating in forward thrust mode in flight and an auto-throttle mode is enabled; and a balk application arrangement to provide, in response to a balk command received by the balk application arrangement to prohibit command of thrust in a balk direction corresponding to a or the given thrust direction which the thrust lever is operable to control, a balk force on the thrust lever (12; 13, 26) acting to oppose an attempt by the pilot to move the lever (12; 13, 26) in a direction so as to command or increase thrust in the balk direction, characterised in that : the balk application arrangement is arranged to control the auto-throttle actuator to provide the balk force on the thrust lever (12; 13, 26), and the balk force is in accordance with a balk feel characteristic profile , indicative of a desired dependence of balk force upon position of the thrust lever (12; 13, 26). <EOS>