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)