Which term refers to the speed through the air corrected for instrument and position errors?

• A. Cabin altitude
• B. Calibrated airspeed
• C. Block altitude
• D. Bernoulli's Principle

Answer: (B)

Calibrated airspeed is the speed through the air after removing biases from the pitot-static system, i.e., after correcting for instrument and position errors. The airspeed indicator shows indicated airspeed, but this value includes errors caused by the instrument itself and by where the air is flowing around the aircraft. By applying calibration data, those biases are removed and you get calibrated airspeed, which gives a more accurate measure of the aircraft’s speed through the air under the current installation and flight conditions. This is different from true airspeed, which is corrected for air density and altitude, and from terms like cabin altitude or Bernoulli’s Principle, which describe other concepts.