A pilot compares the turn coordinator to the attitude indicator during a lesson on gyroscopic instruments. Which statement correctly distinguishes the turn coordinator from the attitude indicator?
- ABoth instruments rely exclusively on the pitot-static system and contain no gyroscopes
- BThe turn coordinator's gyro is mounted with its spin axis canted upward, allowing it to sense both roll rate and yaw rate, while the attitude indicator senses pitch and bank attitude
- CThe turn coordinator uses a rate gyro to display pitch attitude, while the attitude indicator displays only heading
- DThe turn coordinator and attitude indicator are functionally identical and simply duplicate the same information
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. The turn coordinator's gyro is mounted with its spin axis canted upward, allowing it to sense both roll rate and yaw rate, while the attitude indicator senses pitch and bank attitude
The turn coordinator's gyro is canted, enabling it to sense roll rate as well as rate of turn (yaw), which helps a pilot recognize the onset of a turn slightly before a standard turn-and-slip indicator would. The attitude indicator, by contrast, uses a gyro to display pitch and bank attitude relative to the horizon, not rate of turn.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Both instruments are gyroscopic, not pitot-static, instruments.
- C. The turn coordinator does not display pitch attitude; that is the attitude indicator's function.
- D. They display different information (attitude vs. turn/roll rate) and are not identical.
Turn Coordinator vs Attitude Indicator
The turn coordinator uses a canted rate gyro to sense both roll rate and rate of turn, while the attitude indicator uses a gyro to display pitch and bank attitude relative to the horizon.
- Turn coordinator gyro is canted to sense roll and yaw
- Attitude indicator shows pitch and bank, not turn rate
- Both are gyroscopic instruments, but serve different purposes
Memory trick: Turn coordinator feels the roll and the turn; attitude indicator shows the tilt.