What does the FMA in the upper left corner of the PFD display?

• A. Current active and armed flight director status
• B. Engine rotor speed
• C. Aircraft attitude trend
• D. Radio altitude readout

Answer: (A)

The FMA stands for Flight Mode Annunciator, and on the PFD it shows the current active flight director modes and any modes that are armed to engage. This area tells you how the autopilot/flight director is guiding the airplane, including lateral modes (for example, heading, navigation, approach) and vertical modes (such as altitude hold or vertical speed). It also indicates when the autopilot or flight director is engaged, and which modes are ready to activate.

That’s why it’s the right choice: it directly communicates what the flight director is doing or prepared to do, which is essential for understanding how the aircraft will respond to control inputs and mode changes. The other options describe systems or indicators that aren’t shown in the FMA region of the PFD (engine rotor speed, attitude trend, or radio altitude readout).