A gyroscope is a device that consists of a spinning mass, usually a heavy disk called a rotor, that is mounted on a base with a spin axis positioned through the center of the rotor. The rotor can turn freely in any direction-pitch, roll, or yaw. The rotor is mounted and moves within gimbals within a frame and maintains its orientation regardless of any movement of the base.

The rotor and the spin axis will remain in their original position and perpendicular to each other even if the base moves.

The attitude indicator and the heading indicator use gyroscopic properties for their operation.