Definition
Traditional mechanical attitude indicators driven by a spinning gyroscope, typically vacuum- or air-driven, that display the aircraft's pitch and bank relative to the horizon using a fixed miniature aircraft symbol against a moving horizon bar and bank scale. They are distinguished from electronic attitude indicators (such as those found in glass cockpits) by their mechanical construction and self-contained gyro reference.
Plain English
The older-style, mechanical version of the instrument that shows the aircraft's pitch and bank. It uses a spinning gyro inside the instrument to keep the horizon line steady, rather than getting that information from a computer screen.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument flying when comparing traditional round-dial panels with newer electronic flight displays.
Derivation
Conventional' here means 'traditional' or 'long-established' -- in this case, the older mechanical-gyro design that was standard for decades before electronic displays became common. It does not mean 'normal' or 'ordinary' in any rule-based sense.
Why Pilots Care
They supply continuous pitch and bank information when outside visual references are unavailable, directly supporting attitude instrument flying and recovery from unusual attitudes.
Intuition Check
Do not read attitude as emotion here. In this term, attitude means the airplane’s nose-up, nose-down, and wing-tilt position relative to the horizon. Conventional does not mean “correct” or “proper” here. It means the traditional non-electronic, round-dial style of instrument.
Example Sentence 1
The training fleet uses conventional attitude indicators driven by an engine-powered vacuum pump.
Example Sentence 2
During the partial panel exercise the instructor covered the attitude indicator, forcing reliance on the remaining conventional instruments.