PITOT TUBE is best described as which?

• A. A cabin temperature sensor
• B. A fuel pressure gauge
• C. A navigation display
• D. Instrument located on the outside of the fuselage used to indicate airspeed. It is heated and remains very hot to the touch

Answer: (D)

The pitot tube is the airspeed sensing element of the aircraft’s pitot-static system. It’s a small tube mounted on the outside of the fuselage with its opening facing forward to capture the airflow. It measures stagnation (total) pressure, and the airspeed indicator uses the difference between this pressure and the ambient static pressure to display indicated airspeed. It’s heated to prevent ice from blocking the opening, which is why it can feel very hot to the touch. This matches the description of an instrument on the outside that indicates airspeed and is heated. It’s not a cabin temperature sensor, a fuel pressure gauge, or a navigation display.