Flight instrument

The cockpit of a Slingsby T-67 . The most important flight instruments are located on the left side of the instrument panel, i.e. in the pilot's central field of vision

Flight instrument is the umbrella term for the electronic and mechanical devices that are located in the cockpit of an aircraft. The pilot or navigator can use them to orientate themselves and control the desired flight route even when visibility is poor. The instruments describe the spatial position in the air, the navigation as well as the primary and secondary information about the aircraft itself. The latter mainly includes the monitoring of the airframe (control rudder, flaps, landing gear, etc.) and the engine (various temperatures and pressures ) as well Tank filling and fuel consumption.

Depending on the flight rules ( visual or instrument flight ) and the time of day, various instruments are mandatory, especially those relating to the flight control and navigation instruments .

Minimal equipment

Controlled visual flight

Turn pointer with dummy plumbing display in coordinated turn

The following instruments are also required under CVFR flight conditions (§11a DVO LuftBO ):

Variometer

Turn and bank indicator or artificial horizon (for coordinated turning flight )

Ball vial (display of the note plumb bob )

Course gyro (relative direction measurement )

Clock with seconds display

Transponder (§4 FSAV)

VOR recipient (§4 FSAV)

Night flight

The following instruments are also required under NVFR flight conditions (§15 DVO LuftBO):

Two landing lights or a common spotlight with separate filaments and fuse
Illumination of flight instruments (outside of this section)

Instrument flight

The following instruments or facilities are also required for instrument flight (§11 DVO LuftBO):

A control that can be operated from the copilot's seat
The airspeed indicator must be protected against icing and condensation
Turn indicator AND artificial horizon
Outdoor thermometer
Clock with a large second hand
Lighting of the flight instruments
Energy supply display for the gyroscopic instruments
An additional radio (§3 FSAV)
An additional VOR receiver or an area navigation system (§3 FSAV)
Radiocompass (ADF) (§3 FSAV)
Distance measuring device (DME) (§3 FSAV)

The six basic flight instruments for instrument flight.
The "Basic-T" consists of the flight instruments: artificial horizon, altimeter, airspeed indicator and course top
Of the “Basic-T” instruments, the artificial horizon, as the central instrument, must be observed most closely, while the other instruments require special attention depending on the flight maneuver (climb, turn).

Other instruments

Commercial aircraft also have other instruments such as flight attitude computers , ILS receivers, machometers , TCAS or weather radar . Light aircraft , especially gliders , are increasingly being equipped with the FLARM collision warning system. The latter, when used for cross-country flights, also often have a (often GNSS-based ) final approach computer.