Definition
The flight instruments that show the actual performance the airplane is achieving as a result of the pitch and power being applied. They include the airspeed indicator, altimeter, vertical speed indicator, heading indicator, and turn indicator. The pilot reads these instruments to confirm whether the chosen attitude and power setting are producing the desired flight path.
Plain English
The instruments that tell you what the airplane is actually doing right now -- how fast it is going, whether it is climbing or descending, what altitude it is at, and which way it is heading.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument flying when a pilot checks whether an attitude and power setting is producing the desired flight path.
Derivation
The word performance comes from Old French parfornir, meaning to carry through or accomplish. These instruments show what the airplane is accomplishing -- the actual results of the pitch and power inputs the pilot has selected.
Why Pilots Care
They confirm whether the aircraft is holding the desired speed, altitude, and climb or descent rate when outside visual references are lost.
Intuition Check
Performance does not mean how impressive or efficient the airplane is here. It means the airplane’s actual, measured result in flight.
Example Sentence 1
After setting the pitch attitude and power for a climb, the pilot cross-checked the performance instruments to confirm the airplane was climbing at the target airspeed.
Example Sentence 2
When the vertical speed indicator showed a 500-foot-per-minute descent, the pilot adjusted pitch using the performance instruments.