Instrument Issues

Instruments have been a part of aviation since the first flights by the Wright Flyer equipped with a stopwatch, an anemometer to measure wind speed and a Veedor to measure engine revolutions. With the increase of flight activity in the early years of aviation, aircraft instruments were invented that provided necessary information to pilots for precise control and navigation of their aircraft.

Thursday, February 16, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Pilots and aircraft owners are responsible for understanding how various instruments (pitot-static, electrical, vacuum/gyroscopic, electronic) function and the systems they interface with, as this knowledge is crucial for safe operation and maintenance.
Aircraft instruments are susceptible to various failures—such as leaks, contamination, electrical issues, or mechanical wear—that can compromise accuracy and reliability, often without immediate obvious warnings.
Diligence in instrument maintenance, system integrity checks, and timely repairs is paramount for ensuring accurate information, preventing performance degradation, and avoiding serious safety risks associated with faulty or inoperative instrumentation.

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Instruments have been a part of aviation since the first flights by the Wright Flyer equipped with a stopwatch, an anemometer to measure wind speed and a “Veedor” to measure engine revolutions. With the increase of flight activity in the early years of aviation, aircraft instruments were invented that provided necessary information to pilots for precise control and navigation of their aircraft.

In your role as a pilot—and especially if you’re an aircraft owner—it’s important to understand not only how aircraft instruments work but also be knowledgeable of the systems that they interface with. The maintenance and care of an aircraft, its systems and required inspections are a task for which the aircraft owner is responsible. And it is not an easy one.