13 Flight Instruments
13 Flight Instruments
13 Flight Instruments
DEFINITION
The flight instruments are those that allow the pilot to accurately control the aircraft in instrument
meteorological conditions (IMC). The six basic flight instruments are the airspeed indicator (ASI),
attitude indicator (AI), altimeter (ALT), turn coordinator (TC), heading indicator (HI) and the vertical
speed indicator (VSI). The magnetic compass may be considered a back-up seventh flight instrument.
The horizontal situation indicator (HSI) is a flight instrument that combines an HI with navigation
information.
SAFETY FACTORS
TOLERANCES
OBJECTIVES
To develop the student's knowledge of the flight instruments to meet the FAA Practical Test Standards.
To develop the student's understanding of flight instrument operating characteristics, the habit of
proper preflight instrument checks and ability to detect abnormal or unsafe operation.
PROCEDURES
Lecture/Discussion:
a. pitot-static system
1) Includes three basic pressure-operated instruments:
a) Sensitive altimeter
b) Airspeed indicator (ASI)
c) Vertical speed indicator (VSI)
2) Static (ambient) pressure
d. vertical speed indicator (VSI) (vertical velocity indicator, VVI, rate-of-climb indicator)
1) Rate-of-pressure-change instrument
2) Static pressure and calibrated orifice
3) VSI lags behind actual pressure change, but more sensitive than alitimeter
e. attitude indicator (AI) (attitude instrument, artificial horizon, gyro horizon)
1) Gyroscopic rigidity in space
2) Operating mechanism: small brass wheel (gyroscope) with a vertical spin axis
a) Stream of air (via vacuum system) (C-TR182), or
b) Electric motor
3) Horizon disk fixed to gimbals remains in same plane as gyro
a) Pitch marks
b) Bank index
4) Symbolic aicraft mounted on instrument case over horizon disk
5) Erection mechanism (2 to 5 minutes)
6) Older gyros caging mechanism
7) Errors
a) Slight nose up or down during rapid acceleration or deceleration
respectively
b) Possible small bank and pitch errors after 180 degree turn
c) Errors are small and correct themselves within a minute or so in SLF
f. horizontal situation indicator (HSI)
1) Combines magnetic compass (or HI) with navigation signals and glide slope
2) Heading indicator component usually driven by output from a flux valve
3) Displays location relative to selected course
g. magnetic compass
1) Operating principle - free magnets align with the earth's lines of flux
2) Required by 14 CFR part 91 for both VFR and IFR flight
3) Components
a) Two small magnets
b) Metal float
c) Clear fluid
d) Graduated scale, the card
e) Lubber line reference
f) Jewel-and-pivot type mounting
g) Compensator assembly
4) Compass errors
a) Variation
MC = TC + West Variation
MC = TC - East Variation
b) Deviation
i) Caused by local magnetic fields within the aircraft
ii) Recorded on compass correction card
c) Compass course (CC)
True course (TC) corrected for variation (V) and deviation (D)
TC +/- V = MC +/- D = CC
d) Dip errors
i) Northerly turning error
NOSE ("North Opposite, South Exaggerates")
ii) Acceleration error
ANDS (Accelerate North, Decelerate South)
e) Oscillation error
h. turn-and-slip indicator/turn coordinator (TC)
1) Principle of gyroscopic precession
2) Turn-and-slip indicator (needle and ball, turn-and-bank indicator)
3) Turn coordinator
a) Inclinometer (slip-skid indicator, coordination ball)
i) Indicates relationship between bank angle and rate of yaw
ii) Centered ball indicates coordinated turn
b) Turn indicator
Elements
Primary flight display (PFD)
AI
HI
ASI
ALT
VSI
Inclinometer (slip/skid indicator)
Navigation display
Heading information
Route and course deviation on moving map
Digital bearing and distance to fix, ETE, ground track, ground
speed, etc
Engine indicating and crew alerting system (EICAS)
Engine operation
Irregular conditions
Multi-function display (MFD)
Status of aircraft systems
Other optional information (weather, TCAS info)
Operate according to manufacturers recommendations and POH supplements
COMMON ERRORS
References
14 CFR parts 61 and 91
Instrument Flight Maneuvers 4th Edition, Gleim, 2004
Instrument Flying Handbook, FAA-H-8083-15, 1999
Instrument Rating PTS, FAA-S-8081-4D, April 2004
POH for aircraft flown (e.g., C-TR182)