AIRCRAFT INSTRUMENTS

The need of instruments

for an Aircraft
• Instrument system exist to
provide information on the
condition of the aircraft,
engine, components, the
aircraft’s attitude in the sky,
weather, cabin environment,
navigation, and
communication.
 Classification of Aircraft Instrument
• Flight Instruments - The instruments used to measure and control the height.
Spend the movements of the aircraft.
• Engine Instruments - The instruments used to measure and control the
operating limits of the engine.
• Navigation Instruments - The instruments which provide information used by
the pilot to guide the aircraft along a certain route.
• Miscellaneous/Other Instruments - The instruments indicating other useful
information to the pilot.
Important Instruments
• Altimeter
• Air Speed Indicator (ASI)
• Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI)
• Artificial Horizon (Attitude Indicator)
• Turn Coordinator
• Inputs to the Flight instruments is
acquired through the differences in
pressure in the atmosphere. For this,
two types of pressures are sensed from
pressure sensing equipment on the
aircraft.
• Dynamic (Pilot) Pressure – This is the
pressure sensed by the aircraft at
different speeds. At low speeds, the
dynamic pressure is lesser. Vice versa.

• Static Pressure - This is the pressure existing in the still air at different
altitudes. Static pressure decreases with the increase in height. (l.e. the higher
aircraft travels the static pressure felt by the aircraft is lesser.)
 Pitot-Static system
• The pressure collected by the static ports and the pilot head are used to
measure quantities for flight Instruments of the aircraft.
• The comparisons of the two pressures are done from the Pitot-Static
system which then provide quantities for the flight instruments which
the Pilot can read and help to control the aircraft.
 Altimeter
• Altimeter - The instrument is
used to indicate the height
(altitude) of the aircraft. It
receives its inputs from the
static ports which measure
the different static pressures
at different heights in the
atmosphere.
 Air Speed indicator
• Air Speed Indicator(ASI) – This
instrument is used to indicate the speed
of the aircraft. The simplest of
Airspeed indicators have a diaphragm
inside which expands and contracts
depending on the difference between
the static pressure and dynamic (pilot)
pressure.
• The expansion of the diaphragm is
calibrated to indicate the airspeed of
the aircraft.
 Vertical Speed Indicator
• Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI) - This instrument is used to
indicate the vertical speed of the aircraft. (l.e. the amount of
feet/meters the aircraft climbs or drops per second/minutes). The
vertical speed of the aircraft is indicated through the rate of
change of static pressure in the atmosphere.

• If the VSI senses the static pressure is increasing rapidly it

indicates the aircraft is dropping (descending) rapidly. If the
static pressure is decreasing rapidly it indicates the aircraft is
climbing (ascending) rapidly.
 Artificial Horizon

• Artificial Horizon – This instrument indicates the pitch of the aircraft

(weather the aircraft is pointing upwards or downwards).

• If the aircraft symbol on the attitude indicator is on the blue section, it

indicates the aircraft is climbing. On the black section indicates the
aircraft is dropping (going down). The aircraft symbol in the middle
and levelled indicates the aircraft is flying straight with wings level.
Flight Instruments
Engine Instruments