Aircraft Instruments

Attitude Indicator

• Determines the position of the aircraft in relationship to the horizon

• Red/orange marker represents wings

• Blue and brown ball represents the sky and ground

Airspeed Indicator

• Tells you how fast you are moving through the air

• Green band is safe speed range of the airplane

• Instrument shows airspeed in knots, which are nautical miles per hour

• Be sure to keep the airspeed of aircraft in the green zone

Vertical Speed Indicator• Tells you how fast your

airplane is climbing or falling

• White needle will point to 0 (zero) if you are flying level

• If you are descending, the needle will point down

• If you are climbing, the needle will point up

• Numbers on the instrument indicate the hundreds of feet your aircraft is traveling up or down per minute

Altimeter

• Indicates your airplane’s altitude over Sea Level, not the ground

• Long white hand points to altitude in hundreds of feet

• Short white hand points to altitude in thousands of feet

• If there is a third needle, long and thin, it points to tens of thousands of feet

Turn Coordinator• Used to make smooth turns

• Glass level in the bottom of instrument is just like a carpenter’s level

• White ball will stay in the center of the level if you are coordinating your rudder and aileron movements

• Needle indicates the direction of slip in the turn

• Keep the ball centered and your aircraft will be making efficient turns

Heading Indicator• Indicates your aircraft’s

direction• Small orange aircraft at

center of gage is pointed toward the top

• The 360 degree compass dial spins under the aircraft as it turns

• Heading is found by reading the number under the white mark at the top of the instrument (i.e., heading is North at 360 degrees)