Definition
A fundamental principle of attitude instrument flying which states that if a pilot holds the throttle setting fixed and holds the aircraft's pitch attitude fixed relative to the horizon, the airspeed will stabilize at one predictable value and remain there. Power and pitch are the two inputs the pilot controls; airspeed is the resulting output.
Plain English
If you don't change how much power you're using and you don't change the angle of the nose, the airplane will settle on one steady speed and stay there.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument flying when learning how pitch and power affect the airspeed indicator.
Derivation
Constant comes from a Latin word meaning “to stand firm” or “stay the same.” Pitch in aviation means the airplane’s nose-up or nose-down attitude, not musical pitch. Together, the phrase is a memory rule: same power plus same nose attitude gives the same speed.
Why Pilots Care
This relationship lets a pilot hold a target airspeed during climbs, descents, or level flight with minimal control adjustments.
Grounding Statement
Set the power, set the pitch, and the airplane picks the speed for you.
Intuition Check
Do not read “constant pitch” here as a type of propeller. In this context, it means holding the same nose-up or nose-down attitude.
Example Sentence 1
During level cruise, the instructor demonstrated that constant power plus constant pitch equals constant airspeed by setting 23 inches of manifold pressure and holding the pitch attitude steady on the attitude indicator.
Example Sentence 2
During an instrument approach the pilot maintained constant power plus constant pitch to keep approach speed stable.