Plain English Meaning
How many feet you go up or down in one minute. If you are descending at 500 feet per minute, you lose 500 feet of altitude every minute.
Full Definition
A unit of vertical speed expressing how many feet an aircraft climbs or descends in one minute. It is the standard unit shown on the vertical speed indicator (VSI) and is used to describe rates of climb, descent, and sink.
Context Anchor
Seen during climbs, descents, and approaches, especially when checking whether the airplane is descending at an acceptable rate on final approach.
Why Pilots Care
Maintaining the correct rate prevents an unstabilized approach and ensures a safe, descent to .