SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/ifr-static-blocked-vsi

Your static system is blocked. What does the vertical speed indicator show while you climb?

Zero, continuously.

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  1. A continuous zero ✔
  2. A very high climb rate
  3. A slow, steady descent

Why: The VSI works by comparing static pressure changes over time. If static pressure is trapped, nothing changes, so the needle stays at zero even when you climb or descend.

Huh, didn't know that: Some aircraft have an alternate static source to supply static pressure if the primary source becomes blocked.

The dad joke
My VSI says I'm neither climbing nor descending, which is also how I feel about Mondays.
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References

Answer: A continuous zero. The VSI works by comparing static pressure changes over time. If static pressure is trapped, nothing changes, so the needle stays at zero even when you climb or descend.

  1. FAA Instrument Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-15B) www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/pilots/FAA-H-8083-15B.pdf
    a blocked static system produces a continuous zero indication.
    Checked 2026-10-11.

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Test yourself in the game

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