Which instrument indicates rate of climb or descent by sensing the rate of change in static pressure due to altitude change?

• A. It shows attitude in pitch and roll.
• B. It shows heading relative to magnetic north.
• C. It senses the rate of change in static pressure resulting from altitude change and shows climb or descent rate.
• D. It shows vertical speed in meters per second.

Answer: (C)

The vertical speed indicator shows how fast you’re climbing or descending by sensing how quickly the ambient static pressure changes as you move through the air. As you ascend, static pressure drops; as you descend, it rises. The VSI uses a pressure-sensitive mechanism with a small delay to filter out small fluctuations, so the readout reflects the rate of change, not your current altitude. This is why it’s the instrument for vertical speed rather than the altimeter, attitude indicator, or heading indicator. The readout is typically in feet per minute (or meters per second, depending on the system), emphasizing the climb or descent rate rather than the absolute altitude.