Commercial Pilot License (CPL) 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

A fundamental property of a gyroscope is "rigidity in space," which refers to the gyroscope's ability to maintain its orientation regardless of the motion of its base. This characteristic means that a gyroscope, once set in motion, resists changes to its axis of rotation, allowing it to retain its position in space. This is the principle that allows gyroscopes to provide stability and reference points in various applications, especially in navigation systems for aircraft and spacecraft.

Understanding this property is critical for pilots because it relates directly to how instruments such as attitude indicators function. When the airplane turns, climbs, or descends, the gyroscopic instruments help the pilot maintain an accurate sense of orientation, which is crucial for safe operation.

Other properties mentioned in the options, while related to motion or stability, do not encapsulate the essence of how gyroscopes work in maintaining position in space. Therefore, the correct answer highlights the gyroscope's unique ability to remain oriented in a fixed direction regardless of external movements.