Definition
The combination of instrument readings that confirm an airplane is in a stabilized descent, typically including a decreasing altimeter, a downward-deflected vertical speed indicator (VSI) showing a defined rate of descent in feet per minute, an airspeed indicator showing the target descent airspeed, and an attitude indicator showing the nose slightly below the horizon.
Plain English
What the cockpit instruments show you when the airplane is going down at a steady, controlled rate.
Context Anchor
Seen in descent training when a pilot checks the flight instruments and outside view to confirm that the airplane has entered and is maintaining a descent.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots fly the airplane by interpreting what the instruments tell them. Recognizing the full set of descent indications at a glance — not just one gauge — confirms the descent is stable, on speed, and at the planned rate. Missing or misreading these indications can lead to overshooting altitudes, excessive descent rates, or unintended airspeed changes.
Grounding Statement
In a normal descent, the pilot should see the airplane losing altitude while maintaining the desired airspeed and direction.
Intuition Check
Do not read “indications” as instructions or commands. Here, indications are evidence from the airplane and its instruments that a descent is happening.
Example Sentence 1
After reducing power and lowering the nose, the pilot scanned for descent indications: the altimeter unwinding, the VSI showing 500 feet per minute down, and the airspeed holding steady at 90 knots.
Example Sentence 2
Before entering the descending turn, the instructor had the student verify all descent indications were correct on the panel.