artificial horizon
Noun: - A navigational instrument that uses a gyroscope to provide a stable visual reference to the aircraft's attitude (pitch and bank) relative to the horizon, especially when the natural horizon is not visible.
The artificial horizon is a critical flight instrument located on the cockpit's primary instrument panel. It shows the pilot whether the aircraft's nose is pointing above, at, or below the horizon (pitch) and whether the wings are level or banked left or right.
- Noun:
- During the instrument flight through thick clouds, the pilot relied entirely on the artificial horizon to maintain level flight.
- The failure of the artificial horizon is a serious emergency that requires immediate transition to backup instruments.
- "to fly by the artificial horizon": To control the aircraft's attitude using primarily the indication from this instrument, typical in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC).
- With zero visibility outside, she had to fly by the artificial horizon alone.
- Gyro horizon (n): Another common name for the artificial horizon.
- Attitude indicator (n): The modern technical term for this instrument, often used interchangeably with "artificial horizon."
- Flight Director (n): A more advanced system that uses inputs from the attitude indicator and other sources to show the pilot where to fly to follow a programmed path.
- Attitude indicator: The preferred term in modern aviation.
- Gyro horizon: A synonym emphasizing its gyroscopic mechanism.
This is a technical compound noun. Its meaning is specific to aviation and is not used in a general or figurative sense. The instrument's display typically shows a fixed miniature aircraft symbol against a moving blue (sky) and brown (ground) background representing the horizon.
- a navigational instrument based on a gyroscope; it artificially provides a simulated horizon for the pilot