A wind turbine includes a plurality of wind turbine blades attached to a rotor positioned atop a tower affixed to a tower foundation. At least one blade pitch sensor is configured to measure blade pitch angles for one or more of the wind turbine blades. A rotor/generator speed sensor is configured to measure the rotational speed of the wind turbine rotor, a corresponding wind turbine generator, or both. A wind turbine nacelle yaw sensor is configured to measure the nacelle yaw, while at least two tower-base bending sensors are configured without use of adhesives, cements or bonding agents to provide large-area measurement of tower deflection. A controller is configured to adjust the pitch angle of one or more of the wind turbine blades in response to the measured one or more blade pitch angles, the measured rotational speed, the measured nacelle yaw and measured tower longitudinal deflection.