Plain English Meaning

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.

Full 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.

Context Anchor

Seen in instrument flying when a checks whether an attitude and power setting is producing the desired flight path.