Definition
An instrument scan technique in which the attitude indicator serves as the primary, central reference, and the pilot's eyes move outward from it to one supporting instrument at a time before returning to the attitude indicator between each look. It is a variation of the standard radial scan, adapted so that the supporting instruments checked depend on the phase of flight (climb, cruise, turn, descent) rather than scanning all of them in a fixed pattern.
Plain English
A way of reading the instruments in which you keep coming back to the attitude indicator in the middle, glancing out to one other instrument at a time, and choosing which instruments to glance at based on what the airplane is currently doing.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument flying when establishing and maintaining a standard-rate turn without outside visual references.
Derivation
"Radial" comes from the Latin radius, meaning a spoke or ray from the center of a wheel. The scan is called radial because the eyes move outward from a central instrument like spokes from a hub. "Modified" simply means this version has been adjusted from the basic radial scan to fit different phases of flight.
Why Pilots Care
Prevents fixation on the attitude indicator and supports precise bank and rate control without losing overall instrument awareness.
Intuition Check
Do not read “modified radial scan” as a special instrument or a radar-like sweep. It is a way of moving your eyes among the cockpit instruments, adjusted for turning flight.
Example Sentence 1
During the climb, the instructor reminded her to use a modified radial scan, returning to the attitude indicator after each look at the airspeed and altimeter.
Example Sentence 2
During the rollout from the turn, the modified radial scan helped the pilot confirm heading alignment without neglecting altitude.