The turn coordinator tells the pilot the rate the airplane is turning and whether the turn is coordinated. If the pilot is turning at what is called the standard rate, the plane will complete a 360o turn in two minutes. To do a coordinated turn, the pilot must use both ailerons and the rudder. The vertical speed indicator (VSI) indicates how fast the pilot is climbing or descending. It measures how fast the air pressure is increasing or decreasing when the aircraft climbs or descends. The VSI displays the rate of air pressure changes in feet per minute, calculated by multiplying the rate by 100. The magnetic compass tells the pilot the plane's magnetic heading. Unfortunately, the compass can only be read accurately when the plane is in straight and level, unaccelerated flight. As a result, pilots use another instrument called a directional gyro to overcome this problem. When the compass is stable, you set your directional gyro to the heading the compass indicates. As long as you periodically reset the directional gyro to the compass, it will give you good magnetic headings for navigation.

QUESTIONS - BACK

Please send any comments to:
Curator: Tom.Benson@grc.nasa.gov
Responsible Official: Kathy.Zona@grc.nasa.gov