Definition
On the vertical speed indicator (VSI), the rate of return is how quickly the needle moves back to zero after a climb or descent has been stopped and level flight has been re-established.
Plain English
After you stop climbing or descending and hold the airplane level, this is how fast the VSI needle settles back to zero.
Context Anchor
Seen when using the vertical speed indicator to correct small altitude deviations during instrument straight-and-level flight.
Why Pilots Care
The VSI is a trend instrument with a built-in lag. Knowing the typical rate of return helps the pilot judge whether the airplane is actually level yet, or whether the needle is still catching up to a change that has already happened.
Intuition Check
Do not read “return” here as a financial result or as the instrument needle returning to zero. In this context, it means the airplane moving back toward the altitude the pilot wants to maintain.
Example Sentence 1
After leveling off at the assigned altitude, the pilot waited a few seconds for the VSI's rate of return before trusting the zero indication.
Example Sentence 2
A high rate of return tells the pilot the correction is too aggressive and may cause an overshoot.