Definition
On a glass cockpit primary flight display, the VSI tape is the vertical strip alongside the altitude tape that shows the aircraft's rate of climb or descent in feet per minute. A moving pointer or bar travels up or down the scale to indicate the current vertical speed, and a digital readout typically shows the exact value.
Plain English
A vertical strip on the screen that shows how fast the aircraft is climbing or descending. A pointer moves up when climbing and down when descending, with a number giving the exact rate.
Context Anchor
Seen on electronic instrument displays during the instrument scan, especially while holding altitude, leveling off, climbing, or descending.
Derivation
Called a 'tape' because the scale is shown as a vertical moving strip on a screen, replacing the round dial of older mechanical instruments. The display style resembles a tape measure standing on end.
Why Pilots Care
Provides immediate visual feedback on vertical speed so the pilot can correct pitch before altitude deviates.
Intuition Check
Tape does not mean adhesive tape or a recording here. It means a narrow strip-shaped display scale on the instrument screen.
Example Sentence 1
As the pilot pitched up for the climb, the VSI tape showed a steady 500 feet per minute.
Example Sentence 2
With the VSI tape centered at zero the aircraft held altitude steadily through the cruise segment.