Pilots fly aircraft by reference to instruments in the cockpit that provide information on the plane's speed, altitude and heading. The primary instrument for attitude flight is the attitude indicator, which uses a gyroscope to sense changes in the plane's orientation and rotate an artificial horizon display accordingly. The pilot flies the plane so that this artificial horizon remains level, indicating that the plane is flying straight and level.
The secondary instrument used for attitude flight is the turn coordinator. This instrument also uses a gyroscope, but instead of an artificial horizon it has a ball that moves in response to changes in the plane's rate of turn. When flying by reference to instruments, the pilot constantly checks both the attitude indicator and turn coordinator to ensure that the aircraft is maintaining its desired heading and rate of turn.
The final instrument used for attiude flight is the yaw damper. This is a device that senses when the plane starts to yaw (deviate from its intended heading) and automatically applies rudder input to correct back onto course. Yaw dampers are not required on all aircraft; however, they can be very helpful in reducing pilot workload during Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC).