The position of the aircraft as determined by the relationship of its axes to a reference horizon is called:

• A. Attitude
• B. Altitude
• C. Orientation
• D. Attitude indicator

Answer: (A)

Attitude describes how the airplane is oriented in space relative to the horizon. It’s determined by the relationship of the aircraft’s axes to a reference horizon, capturing how much the nose is up or down (pitch) and how much the wings are tilted (roll). The attitude indicator is the instrument that displays this orientation, but the concept describing the aircraft’s position itself is attitude, not altitude (vertical position), nor a general orientation, nor the instrument name.