Plain English Meaning

Cockpit instruments that work using a fast-spinning wheel inside them. That spinning wheel keeps a steady reference, which lets the instrument show how the airplane is banked, pitched, turning, or heading.

Full Definition

Flight instruments that use a spinning rotor (gyroscope) to sense and display the airplane's attitude, heading, or rate of turn. The three traditional gyro instruments are the attitude indicator, the heading indicator, and the turn coordinator (or turn-and-slip indicator). They are powered either by engine-driven vacuum or by electricity.