Definition
A flight principle stating that when engine power is held steady and the aircraft's pitch attitude is lowered (nose moved down relative to the horizon), airspeed will increase. Lowering the pitch reduces the climb angle or initiates a descent, allowing gravity to assist forward motion while drag and thrust remain roughly balanced, so the aircraft accelerates.
Plain English
If you keep the throttle setting the same and push the nose down a little, the aircraft will speed up.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument flying and airspeed indicator training when learning how pitch and power changes affect airspeed.
Why Pilots Care
Allows precise airspeed control during climbs, descents, or level flight without throttle changes, especially useful in instrument conditions.
Analogy
Think of a bicycle on a flat road versus a gentle downhill. Pedalling the same effort, you go faster on the downhill because gravity is now helping you along.
Grounding Statement
With the same push from the engine, lowering the nose lets the airplane trade some height or climb tendency for speed.
Intuition Check
Do not read pitch here as propeller blade pitch or musical pitch. In this context, pitch means the airplane’s nose attitude: nose higher or nose lower.
Example Sentence 1
To fine-tune the airspeed during the approach without touching the throttle, the pilot used the principle that constant power plus decreased pitch equals increased airspeed and gently lowered the nose.
Example Sentence 2
During a level-off the student applied constant power plus decreased pitch equals increased airspeed to accelerate smoothly to cruise speed.