Which instrument provides the most immediate indication of bank angle during a turn?

• A. Turn coordinator
• B. Heading indicator
• C. Attitude indicator
• D. VSI

Answer: (C)

The instrument that shows bank angle directly and immediately is the attitude indicator. It presents a fixed miniature airplane and a horizon line; when you roll, the horizon tilts relative to the aircraft symbol. The amount of tilt corresponds to your actual bank angle, so you get an instant, intuitive read of how steeply you’re banking.

Other instruments serve different purposes. The turn coordinator gives information about turn rate (how quickly you’re turning) and also shows a miniature airplane that tilts, but that tilt mainly reflects roll rate and becomes less precise for the actual bank angle during a steady turn. The heading indicator only shows the direction you’re heading, not how you’re banked, and the VSI shows vertical speed (climb or descent rate), not bank information.