Which Indicators and Buttons in the Aircraft Cockpit Do What?

We thought that you should at least learn what the indicators on the aircraft control panel do, in case it happens to you one day. against bad scenarios We’ve covered the indicators so you can be prepared.

Now prepare for flight and learn the importance of each of the indicators.

First, let’s take a look at the aircraft control panel in general and see what and where it is.

As you can see, there are many panels such as a compass to find your direction and a pressure gauge to check the oil pressure. Increasingly Even though it looks crowded We think people get used to it when they use it. Or pilots don’t stick post-it notes everywhere, do they?

There are many sections, from aircraft status indicators to navigation indicators, air-ground communication equipment and engine indicators. Let’s start from the left:

Altimeter

If you are in the pilot seat, let’s continue. Aeroplane how high do you know? You can look at the altimeter to find the answer to the question of whether you are close to crashing or whether you will still be floating among the clouds.

The oldest flight instrument is the altimeter, used in airplanes. height relative to sea level Displays in feet. Working with static pressure, the altimeter measures altitude according to the air pressure taken from the static pressure holes.

airspeed indicator

Have you ever wondered how fast a plane is going? You can also satisfy your curiosity in the cockpit. This indicator uses air pressure differences to measures speed in air. Displays nautical miles per hour. (1 nautical mile 1,852 km/h)

Attitude indicator (Attitude gyro)

How will you align the plane in the endless air? Are you going straight or obliquely? This is exactly what the attitude indicator is good for. The attitude indicator will be your greatest reference, especially in weather conditions where visual conditions are poor. shows the direction of the aircraft relative to the horizon.

Turn and belt indicator

Turning a plane is harder than turning your car, for sure. Looking at the turn and belt indicator controlled rotation you can provide. Your standard rotation is 3 degrees per second. If you follow this standard, the mark on the screen will also be aligned.

Vertical speedometer (Variometer)

The plane you pilot rise and fall You need to keep an eye on the vertical speed indicator to look at it in feet per minute.

Direction indicator (Heading gyro)

Which way is the journey? Which direction? It’s impossible to know when you’re in the air. For this, you need to look at the direction indicator that senses movements on the vertical axis. Large lines on the indicator indicate 10 degrees, small lines indicate 5 degrees.

magnetic compass

Magnetic compass, also known as water compass, showing magnetic north slightly different in angle from true north. But with that excitement, I guess you won’t notice it much.

trim wheel

In cases such as precipitation, loss of pressure, unbalanced load, irregular fuel, excessive wind, the fuselage of the aircraft may tilt unbalanced to the right or left. This situation you notice is called trim out. You can immediately control the plane using the trim wheel as if you were a master pilot. to your old position You can bring it.

navigation system

The COMM and NAV indicators you see in the general image are parts of the aircraft’s navigation systems. Air traffic control You can also see reports about here.

oil pressure gauge

Don’t be afraid, but if you see that the oil pressure indicator starts to drop when the pilot is down, immediately look for ways to land the plane. This indicator engine lubrication and cooling It shows the engine oil that provides If the pressure starts to drop, it is a sign that engine damage will occur.

Tachometer (Engine speed indicator)

You can fly like a master pilot with the tachometer that shows engine speed in laps per minute. Using at large angle and low speed economy in fuel you can provide. We think that if you have come this far, you will be able to land the plane without any problems.

Transponder

Another name for the air traffic control system is transponder. Coded signals received from the ground station are answered here in a coded manner and sent back. Thus how high the plane is above the ground is defined. Just knowing the indicators is not enough at this stage. You also need to learn how to give coded answers, but I think this is not the place for that.

Gasoline-air mixture lever

This lever, usually with a red knob, works to adjust the gasoline-air mixture and to cut off the gasoline to the carburetor and stop the engine. You can use this as long as you are in the air to avoid wasting unnecessary gas, but considering you are not that professional, you can only use full forward during descent It will be enough to know that you need to put it in position.

The throttle lever, which is a bit of a technical detail, is the lever that controls the engine speed and the air-fuel mixture entering the cylinders. When the throttle lever is moved forward, the manifold pressure increasesdecreases in retrograde motion.

Instrument landing system (ILS/VOR) indicators

Let’s say you had a successful ride and made it to the airport. While landing on the runway how to center the path do you know? Of course you don’t, because this is your first piloting. This is where the ILS/VOR indicators come into play and show you the middle of the track.

Ammeter

The ammeter dial, which shows the current entering and leaving the battery, has a zero point in the middle and negative and positive charge indicators on either side. In case of any malfunction, the battery will continue to work until its charge is exhausted, but there is an alternative to the ammeter that performs this function. alternator malfunction Prepare to land the aircraft in case of

flap control

Again, let’s assume that you have a successful flight and have reached the landing stage. As with takeoff, the aircraft must fly at low speeds during landing. Flaps that resemble winglets near the fuselage work with this control to change the wing area, wing structure and wing curvature of the aircraft. soaring for a slow descent It will also be useful to keep in mind the location of the flap control.

ADF navigation box/ADF indicator

You can rely on ADF for automatic navigation. This box on aircraft with advanced navigation tools guides you along the route and always to be on the right track provides. So “where am I?” Don’t take your eyes off this box.

airplane time recorder

If you find time and wonder what time it is, you can look here. However, do not be surprised if your watch is 3 hours ahead of this time (according to Turkish time). Because the time used in the aviation industry is the same everywhere in the world. Common time period determined to prevent aviation accidents and ensure effective communication to the Greenwich Meridian is set.

“Information is information.” If you have reached the end of the content, it means that you have command of the cockpit, although not as much as a pilot. We hope that one day nothing will happen to the pilot of the plane you are on and you will not have to land the plane 🙂