You are missing the point of the pointer reference.
High performance airplanes have a different display of roll reference when using the sky pointer. I have noticed that the Collins 108 fitted to the King Air has a different method of displaying roll (I need to fly the airplane again to be able to describe it). I think it is the way the tape on top of the instrument moves which makes the relevant difference between the sky pointer and the "sky" work in the opposite direction. I cannot remember the details, the King Air has been down for engine change for three months and I have not flown it for a while, but I remember it always made me pause the first time I flew it after most of my time was on smaller piston types. I asked someone why they were different and was told it was because there were GA displays and "jet" displays.
I suspect the King Air has an airline type display while the smaller GA airplanes have a more basic system.
I hope to fly it later this month and will take a closer look.
I did get a chance to look at two different attitude indicators. One was the Collins 108 similar to those fitted to the old B737 and to the King Air, the other was a normal GA AI. The Collins was different in that the bank scale at the top is fixed, thus it moves with the airplane. The sky pointer always points vertically. The GA instrument has a moving scale and the sky pointer is fixed with the airplane. This shows the apparent movement of the sky pointer in opposite directions for the same bank angle. It takes only a little time to become used to the differences, but it is nevertheless different.
Last edited by boofhead; 18th Mar 2011 at 17:07.