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Quiz: 6 Questions To See How Much You Know About Flight Instruments

Live from the Flight Deck

Think you know all 6?


  1. 1) With a gyro-driven attitude indicator, if you rapidly accelerate in a level pitch attitude:

    As you rapidly accelerate, precession on the gyro will cause it to pitch up a few degrees.  The change doesn't last long, though, because the erecting system quickly compensates.

    As you rapidly accelerate, precession on the gyro will cause it to pitch up a few degrees.  The change doesn't last long, though, because the erecting system quickly compensates.

  2. 2) You're descending through FL180 and you forget to reset your altimeter to the current barometric pressure setting of 29.34. What will your actual MSL altitude be when your indicated altitude reads 864'?
    Boldmethod

    29.92 - 29.34 = 0.58 X 1000 = 580'.  864' - 580 = 284'. Remember the saying "High to low, look out below".  Since you went from a high pressure setting to a low pressure setting, your indicated altitude will be higher than your true altitude.

    29.92 - 29.34 = 0.58 X 1000 = 580'.  864' - 580 = 284'. Remember the saying "High to low, look out below".  Since you went from a high pressure setting to a low pressure setting, your indicated altitude will be higher than your true altitude.

  3. 3) You're in IMC. During your instrument scan, your airspeed, altimeter, and VSI (0 fpm) are all constant. However, the turn coordinator and attitude indicator show a turn to the right, while the heading indicator is stationary. What instrument failed?

    Because the airspeed, altimeter, and VSI are all constant you know the aircraft is neither descending nor climbing. Knowing that the turn coordinator is powered separately than the attitude and heading indicator, as long as its fail flag isn't visible, you know it is a reliable instrument to reference. In other words, knowing that both the turn coordinator and the attitude indicator are showing a turn to the right, you can determine that the inoperative instrument is the heading indicator, which isn't in agreement with the two other gyroscopic instruments.

    Because the airspeed, altimeter, and VSI are all constant you know the aircraft is neither descending nor climbing. Knowing that the turn coordinator is powered separately than the attitude and heading indicator, as long as its fail flag isn't visible, you know it is a reliable instrument to reference. In other words, knowing that both the turn coordinator and the attitude indicator are showing a turn to the right, you can determine that the inoperative instrument is the heading indicator, which isn't in agreement with the two other gyroscopic instruments.

  4. 4) Your static port is blocked while you're in a constant rate, 500 FPM climb. What indication will your VSI show?

    Because there is no static pressure for the instrument to sense a climb or a descent (trend and rate), it will show an indication of 0.

    Because there is no static pressure for the instrument to sense a climb or a descent (trend and rate), it will show an indication of 0.

  5. 5) Which flight instrument uses the principle of precession?

    The turn coordinator relies on the principle of precession in order to sense rate-of-turn and roll.

    The turn coordinator relies on the principle of precession in order to sense rate-of-turn and roll.

  6. 6) Calibrated airspeed corrects indicated airspeed for ___________.

    Calibrated airspeed corrects indicated airspeed for position and installation errors.  Equivalent airspeed (EAS) factors in compressibility (only an issue for high-speed aircraft), and true airspeed (TAS) factors in non-standard pressure and temperature.

    Calibrated airspeed corrects indicated airspeed for position and installation errors.  Equivalent airspeed (EAS) factors in compressibility (only an issue for high-speed aircraft), and true airspeed (TAS) factors in non-standard pressure and temperature.

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Corey Komarec

Corey is an Airbus 320 First Officer for a U.S. Major Carrier. He graduated as an aviation major from the University of North Dakota, and he's been flying since he was 16. You can reach him at corey@boldmethod.com.

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