Unit 5 review: Flight Instruments
A mixed check of all 3 lessons in this unit. Mixing topics is harder than one lesson at a time, and that's the point: it's how the written test and the oral exam ask.
The unit in one minute
- The pitot-static instrumentsAirspeed uses pitot and static; altimeter and VSI use static only.
- The gyroscopic instrumentsAttitude and heading indicators are often vacuum; turn coordinator is electric.
- The magnetic compass and its errorsVariation (true vs magnetic north, on charts) and deviation (airplane, on the correction card).
Mixed check
12 questions pulled from across the unit. Wrong answers explain why and point you back to the lesson.
Explain it to your CFI
Say each one out loud in your own words, in under a minute. If you stall, reread that lesson. This is exactly what an examiner looks for.
- The pitot-static instruments. Explain which instruments use pitot and static pressure
- The gyroscopic instruments. Name the three gyroscopic instruments and what powers them
- The magnetic compass and its errors. Explain variation and deviation
What the examiner may ask
What happens to the instruments if the pitot tube and its drain hole are blocked?
The airspeed indicator acts like an altimeter: it shows an increase in a climb and a decrease in a descent.
What's the difference between variation and deviation?
Variation is the difference between true and magnetic north, from the chart; deviation is error from the airplane's own magnetic fields, from the correction card.
How would you recognize a vacuum failure?
The suction gauge reads low, a warning light may come on, and the attitude and heading indicators slowly drift or tumble while the turn coordinator still works.
What are the color markings on your airspeed indicator?
Know your airplane's VS0, VS1, VFE, VNO and VNE, and where VA is published.