Explore the 747 cockpit instruments

A flight deck tells a story through numbers, pointers and symbols. This explorer lets you change those readings and see how two styles of instrument present the same information.

Read the flight deck

One set of readings, two generations

Move the sliders, explore an instrument and compare classic-inspired dials with a glass-inspired display.

An educational illustration. Sliders set the displayed readings directly; this page does not simulate flight dynamics, autopilot behaviour or 747 operating procedures.

Glass-inspired flight instruments

Electronic tapes and a horizon bring several readings together. This original display is illustrative rather than an exact 747 screen.

Classic-inspired flight instruments

Separate dials show the same sample readings. Select an instrument to learn how to read it.

Four illustrative thrust levers

ENG 1

1

ENG 2

2

ENG 3

3

ENG 4

4

65% linked lever position

The percentage belongs to this drawing. It does not indicate engine RPM or rated thrust.

Speed through the air

Indicated airspeed comes from the pitot-static system. It is not the aircraft’s ground speed. Compare the round pointer with the moving tape using the same sample value.

Try it: Try 220 kt, then 280 kt. Switch layouts to see two ways of showing that reading.

Navigation and avionics →

An altitude indicated by pressure

An altimeter interprets atmospheric pressure using a pressure setting. It does not measure height above the terrain. This illustration assumes standard pressure, 1013.25 hPa / 29.92 inHg.

Try it: Choose 10,000 ft, then 35,000 ft. Watch the numerical readout and the classic dial’s three pointers.

Inside the flight deck →

The direction the nose points

Heading is read clockwise from north: east is 090°, south is 180° and west is 270°. Wind can make heading and ground track different.

Try it: Move to 090°, then 270°. The compass card turns beneath the fixed aircraft pointer.

Navigation and avionics →

Four engines, four levers

The 747 has a thrust lever for each engine. This linked control moves four illustrative levers together. Its percentage shows position in this drawing, not engine RPM, thrust, fuel flow or a certified power setting.

Try it: Move the lever position to 25%, then 75%. Airspeed and altitude stay unchanged because this page does not model flight dynamics.

The 747 engine families →

Pitch and bank against the horizon

The attitude display shows how the aircraft is tilted relative to the horizon. Pitch moves the horizon up or down; bank tilts it. Neither slider predicts a climb, descent or turn.

Try it: Try 10° nose-up pitch and 20° right bank, then return both to zero.

Flight controls →

From separate instruments to electronic displays

Classic 747s used a flight crew of pilot, copilot and flight engineer, as recorded in the FAA's type certificate. The 747-400 introduced a digital two-crew flight deck. Boeing later selected LCD displays and additional electronic features for the 747-8, including an electronic checklist and vertical situation display.

These drawings illustrate that broad change rather than reproducing a particular cockpit installation. The classic view contains four selected instruments; the glass view groups several readings onto one display. The same slider values carry over when you switch views.

Choose a reading, then explore it

Use the instrument buttons to open the explanation and a suggested experiment. The three example displays provide convenient starting values. They are chosen for readability and are not recommended aircraft settings.

Sliders update immediately. There is no passage of simulated flight time, no map position and no relationship between the selected altitude, airspeed and lever position. This keeps the tool focused on learning the displays.

Continue inside the aircraft

• Flight deck history and photographs
• Classic flight-engineer station
• Explore the aircraft cutaway
• 747-8 flight deck features
• Return to the 747 Explorer