• Most aircraft are designed with similar instrument panels to provide consistency for pilots switching from different aircraft. The instruments are classified by their functions, which include flight, navigation and system instruments. Flight instruments display the speed, altitude and position of the wings and nose relative to the horizon. Navigation instruments include electronic guidance and direction. System instruments include things such as fuel levels, battery charge, flap positions and other gauges that monitor systems.
  
  

Flight Instruments

• Flight instruments are typically designed in what is commonly known as the "six-pack" format. This format consists of two rows of instruments that are aligned three across. The top row, from left to right, includes the airspeed indicator, the attitude indicator and the altimeter. The bottom row consists of the turn coordinator, directional gyro and vertical speed indicator. The airspeed indicator shows how fast the aircraft is flying through the air. The attitude indicator displays the angle of the nose and wings in relation to the horizon and the altimeter displays how high above sea level the aircraft is flying. The turn coordinator helps the pilot maintain a standard rate of turn and the directional gyro displays the compass heading of the aircraft. The vertical speed indicator displays how fast the aircraft is climbing or descending. Many aircraft have a computer screen in front of the pilot called a primary flight display that combines all of these instruments in one display as opposed to separate instruments.
  
  

Navigation Instruments

• Navigation instruments are typically positioned directly to the right of the flight instruments. Many aircraft today have global positioning systems (GPS) installed but still have the same navigation instruments that have been used for many years. Directly to the right of the altimeter is either one or two instruments call VOR's (very high-frequency omnidirectional range). The VOR resembles a compass with one or two needles in the middle. These track ground stations selected by the pilot, who follows the courses by keeping the needles centered to stay on course. Other instruments in some aircraft include the ADF (automatic direction finder), which resembles a compass with a big arrow in the center, and the HSI (horizontal situation indicator), which incorporates multiple navigation instruments in one display.
  
  

System Instruments

• Each aircraft has its own layout for the location of system instruments. The fuel system has fuel level gauges and in most cases a fuel flow indicator that displays the gallons per hour being used. The oil system has pressure and temperature gauges. The electrical system has instruments to show volts and amps being used at any given time. Other systems include hydraulics, landing gear, engine instruments and radios.