What is the crank on the ceiling of this aircraft? What is the crank the pilot is operating above his head? Also what type of aircraft is this?



 image source
The pilot is operating the overhead stabilator trim crank in an early model Piper Cherokee. Here's a close up the trim crank:



Piper Cherokee overhead trim crank; image from tnwings.com

In later models, it was replaced with airliner type trim wheels