Definition
A flight instrument that uses a spinning gyroscope to measure how quickly the aircraft is turning about its vertical axis, displayed in degrees per second or as a standard-rate reference. A standard-rate turn shown on this instrument equals 3 degrees per second, which completes a 360-degree turn in two minutes.
Plain English
An instrument that tells the pilot how fast the airplane is turning, not how far it has turned. It uses a small spinning wheel inside the instrument to sense the rate of the turn.
Context Anchor
Seen on the instrument panel during instrument flying, especially when a pilot must control or check a turn without using outside visual cues.
Derivation
Gyroscopic comes from the Greek 'gyros' meaning circle or ring, and 'skopein' meaning to look at -- literally a device for observing rotation. The spinning wheel inside the instrument resists changes to its orientation, and that resistance is what the instrument measures and displays as a rate of turn.
Why Pilots Care
Enables precise control of turn rate and coordination in instrument meteorological conditions, supporting standard-rate turns and preventing spatial disorientation.
Analogy
It is like a speedometer for turning. Instead of showing how fast the airplane moves forward, it shows how fast its direction is changing.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as a bank-angle instrument. It shows the rate of the turn, meaning how fast the aircraft’s direction is changing.
Example Sentence 1
The pilot referenced the gyroscopic rate-of-turn indicator to establish a standard-rate turn while entering the holding pattern.
Example Sentence 2
During the instrument approach, the gyroscopic rate-of-turn indicator helped the pilot keep the turn smooth and predictable.