Attitude Indicator
In the context of aerospace engineering, an Attitude Indicator (AI), also known as a gyro horizon or artificial horizon, is a flight instrument that informs the pilot of the aircraft orientation relative to Earth's horizon. It provides immediate orientation in relation to the horizontal and vertical directions, which is crucial for maintaining control of the aircraft during flight, especially when visual references are not available or reliable. The AI operates on the principle of rigidity in space, where the gyroscope in the instrument maintains its position while the aircraft rotates around it. The instrument visually represents the aircraft's roll and pitch to the pilot, which are the angular rates of rotation around the aircraft's longitudinal (front to back) and lateral (side to side) axes, respectively. The AI is a critical component of an aircraft's avionics system and is a standard instrument in both visual (VFR) and instrument (IFR) flight rules operations.
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