How do you read the main flight instruments in MSFS?
In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the main instruments show airspeed, aircraft attitude, altitude, direction, rate of turn and rate of climb or descent. Read them as a coordinated group, not one gauge at a time: attitude shows what the aircraft is doing, while the other instruments confirm the result.
What does each of the six-pack instruments show?
The traditional six-pack contains the six primary flight instruments used to control and monitor an aircraft. They appear as separate round gauges in older cockpits and as integrated indications on modern glass displays.
| Instrument | What it means | How to read it | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airspeed indicator | Indicated airspeed through the surrounding air, usually in knots | Read the needle or speed tape against the numbered scale. Where fitted, white, green, yellow and red markings identify operating ranges and limits. | It is not ground speed. Wind can make the GPS ground speed considerably higher or lower. |
| Attitude indicator | Pitch and bank relative to the horizon | Compare the fixed aircraft symbol with the artificial horizon. Pitch lines show nose-up or nose-down attitude; the upper scale shows bank angle. | A nose-up attitude does not guarantee a climb. At low airspeed, the aircraft can be pitched up while descending. |
| Altimeter | Barometric altitude above mean sea level when the pressure setting is correct | Read the ten-thousands, thousands and hundreds indications on a conventional gauge, or the numerical value on an altitude tape. Set the local QNH in the pressure window. | It does not normally show height above the ground. On the runway, a correctly set altimeter usually displays airport elevation rather than zero. |
| Turn coordinator | Direction and rate of turn, plus whether the turn is coordinated | The miniature aeroplane or needle indicates turn rate. The ball should remain centred; apply rudder towards the ball to correct a slip or skid. | The miniature wings are not a precise bank-angle display. Use the attitude indicator for bank. |
| Heading indicator | The magnetic direction in which the nose is pointing | Read the number beneath the fixed index at the top. For example, 09 represents approximately 090 degrees, or east. | Heading is not the same as GPS track in a crosswind. A conventional directional gyro may also need periodic alignment with the magnetic compass. |
| Vertical speed indicator | Rate of climb or descent, normally in feet per minute | Above zero means climbing; below zero means descending. The size of the deflection gives the approximate vertical rate. | Mechanical VSIs lag behind the aircraft. Chasing the needle usually causes an unstable climb or descent. |
The magnetic compass provides an independent heading reference but is not one of the conventional six-pack gauges. Engine instruments and navigation displays are also separate from the primary flight instruments.
For a labelled light-aircraft example, our Cessna 172 gauge-by-gauge explanation shows how these indications fit into a familiar Microsoft Flight Simulator cockpit.
How should you scan the instruments while flying?
Use a repeating cross-check that returns frequently to attitude, then confirm the result with airspeed, altitude, vertical speed and heading.
- Set the references before departure. Enter the correct barometric pressure and, if the aircraft has an unslaved heading indicator, align it with the magnetic compass.
- Establish attitude and power. Select a sensible pitch, bank and power setting for level flight, a climb, descent or turn.
- Cross-check the performance. Airspeed confirms acceleration or deceleration, the altimeter shows the resulting altitude, the VSI reveals the vertical trend, and the heading instruments confirm direction.
- Make one small correction. Adjust pitch, bank or power, wait for the aircraft to respond, then check the full group again. Avoid correcting from the VSI alone.
- Keep looking outside in visual flight. The instruments verify what the aircraft is doing; they should not consume the whole visual scan unless practising instrument conditions.
For example, raising the nose in level cruise should initially show a higher pitch attitude, followed by decreasing airspeed and usually a climb indication. If one instrument disagrees while the others tell a consistent story, check its setting or system before making a large control input.
How do glass-cockpit displays show the same information?
A primary flight display combines the same six types of information into one screen rather than changing what they mean.
Most PFDs place the attitude display in the centre, the airspeed tape on the left, altitude on the right, heading along the bottom and vertical speed near the altitude tape. Turn and slip information is normally shown close to the attitude or heading display, although the exact layout varies by avionics suite.
Selected autopilot values and flight-director commands are not actual aircraft readings. A selected-altitude marker shows the target, while the altitude tape shows where the aircraft really is; magenta flight-director bars command a pitch or bank rather than depicting the aircraft’s present attitude. Our guide to interpreting the A320’s displays explains these distinctions in an airliner cockpit.
If the figures are too small to read, zooming excessively can hide the outside view. A better solution is to create a dedicated cockpit instrument view and switch between that and a wider flying position.
Why do the instrument readings not agree?
Most apparent disagreements happen because the instruments measure different things or use different reference points.
- Indicated airspeed and ground speed: IAS measures movement through the air; GPS ground speed measures movement over the ground. Wind separates the two.
- Heading and track: heading is where the nose points; track is the path across the ground. A crosswind requires a crab angle, so they may not match.
- Altitude and height: a barometric altimeter normally reports altitude above mean sea level. Height above terrain is AGL and changes as the ground rises or falls.
- VSI and altimeter: the VSI shows a rate and may lag; the altimeter shows the resulting altitude. A brief VSI movement does not immediately produce a large altitude change.
- Attitude and flight path: the attitude indicator shows where the aircraft is pointed, not necessarily where it is moving. This distinction becomes critical near a stall.
What should you check if an instrument is blank or frozen?
A blank glass display usually indicates an electrical, avionics or brightness-setting problem, while an implausible mechanical reading can indicate icing, an enabled failure or an incorrect instrument setting.
- Check the battery, avionics master, generators and relevant display dimmers in a cold-and-dark aircraft.
- If airspeed remains at zero after the aircraft moves, check for a configured failure and consider pitot icing when flying in icing conditions; use pitot heat where the aircraft procedure calls for it.
- If altitude is consistently wrong, verify the barometric setting before blaming the gauge. Do not force the altimeter to read zero on the runway unless zero is genuinely the correct elevation reference.
- If heading slowly drifts in a conventional gyro-equipped aircraft, realign it with the magnetic compass during straight, unaccelerated flight.
- When one indication is suspect, cross-check the standby instruments and the outside horizon when visual conditions permit rather than trusting a single display.