Instruments
HOW DOES A PILOT STAY ORIENTED?
Six instruments provide pilots with information about an airplane’s motion and orientation
with respect to the ground. These instruments allow them to fly safely even when they
cannot see the ground or horizon.
AIRPLANE INSTRUMENTS
Airplane control panels have instruments that help a pilot maintain control. Using these
instruments to monitor an airplane's position, rather than outside visual references, is
known as attitude instrument flying. All airplanes have six basic instruments: airspeed
indicator, attitude indicator, altimeter, turn coordinator, heading indicator, and vertical
speed indicator.
Air Speed Indicator
How Fast Am I Going? The airspeed indicator shows the speed of the airplane through
the air, which it calculates by measuring the difference between total air pressure and
static air pressure.
Attitude Indicator
Where’s the Horizon? Pilots use the horizon to help them judge how an airplane is
oriented. When darkness and weather obscure the horizon, they refer to the attitude
indicator, which uses a gyroscope to show the position of the airplane’s wings in
relation to an “artificial horizon.”
Altimeter
How High Am I? The altimeter, basically a barometer, shows the airplane’s height
above sea level. It senses the change in static air pressure caused by a change in
altitude.
Turn Coordinator
Is My Turn Coordinated? The turn coordinator helps guide the pilot through a turn. It
uses a gyroscope to show the rate and direction of turn and whether the airplane is
slipping toward the inside or skidding toward the outside of the turn.
Heading Indicator
What Direction Am I Headed? The heading indicator, connected to a gyroscope,
shows the direction in which the airplane is flying. It is easier to use than a simple
magnetic compass, which is affected by the acceleration of the airplane.
Vertical Speed Indicator
How Fast Am I Going Up or Down? The vertical speed indicator shows the airplane’s
rate of climb or descent by measuring how fast static pressure changes as the aircraft
climbs or descends.
Which Three Instruments Work by Measuring Air Pressure?
To gather air pressure information, some instruments rely on a device called a Pitot-
static tube, which is mounted on the airplane’s nose or on the leading edge of a wing.
The tube faces forward and senses the pressure of the oncoming airflow. This so-
called total pressure (or ram pressure) changes with the airplane’s speed through the
air. Through holes along the side of the tube, another sensor measures the local
atmospheric pressure, or static pressure. Static pressure goes down as you go up. The
altimeter, airspeed indicator, and vertical speed indicator all rely on the Pitot-static
tube.
Which Three Instruments Work by Using Gyroscopes?
A gyroscope is a rapidly spinning wheel mounted on a set of swivels (gimbals) that
allows it to rotate. Once set in motion, the wheel tends to maintain its orientation,
regardless of how the housing in which it is mounted tilts. A gyroscope within an
instrument can provide a fixed plane of reference that does not change as the airplane
rolls, pitches, or yaws. The heading indicator, attitude indicator, and turn coordinator
rely on gyroscopes.
