Definition
The small triangular pointer at the top of the attitude indicator that moves along a fixed scale to show the aircraft's angle of bank. The scale is marked at 10°, 20°, 30°, 45°, 60°, and 90° of bank, allowing the pilot to read bank angle directly without estimating from the miniature aircraft alone.
Plain English
It is the little arrow at the top of the attitude indicator that points to how steeply the aircraft is tilted left or right.
Context Anchor
Seen on the attitude indicator during instrument flying, especially when setting or correcting bank in turns and when returning to wings-level flight.
Why Pilots Care
Precise bank control prevents overbanking, maintains coordinated flight, and supports accurate heading changes.
Intuition Check
Do not read the banking pointer as a turn-rate indicator. It shows the airplane’s left-or-right tilt, not how fast the airplane is turning.
Example Sentence 1
Rolling into the turn, she watched the banking pointer settle on the 20° mark and held it there.
Example Sentence 2
I adjusted the yoke until the banking pointer aligned with the 30-degree mark on the scale.