Plain English Meaning
A heading gyro that is electrically tied to a magnetic sensor in the wingtip or tail. The sensor quietly keeps the gyro pointing the right way, so the heading on the panel stays accurate on its own.
Full Definition
A directional gyro that is automatically and continuously corrected by signals from a remote magnetic sensing element (a flux valve or flux gate), so that the heading it displays stays aligned with magnetic north without requiring the pilot to reset it manually.
Derivation
The word 'slaved' comes from older mechanical and electrical engineering, where one device is made to follow, or be controlled by, another. Here, the gyro is 'slaved' to the magnetic sensor — it follows whatever heading the sensor reports, instead of drifting on its own.
Why Pilots Care
Ensures the heading indicator remains accurate over time without manual resetting, critical for reliable navigation in instrument flight.
Intuition Check
“Slaved” does not mean the gyro is less important or manually forced. Here it means the gyro is made to follow another reference, usually a remote magnetic sensor.
Example Sentence 1
Before takeoff, the pilot checked that the slaved gyro was tracking the magnetic compass and that the slaving meter was centered.
Example Sentence 2
During the flight the slaved gyro maintained an accurate heading by receiving updates from the flux valve.