Private Pilot Flight Training and Instruction Flight Training Article Library | Back To 4VFR.COM Pitot Tube Inventor The pitot tube was invented by Francais Pitot, a French physicist and dentist born in 1695. His tube was first used to measure water flow. It measures the difference between ambient and dynamic pressures. Only the very, very old or very, very new aircraft do not use a pitot tube to determine airspeed. The pitot tube measures only pressure. There is no air movement through the pitot tube. Written by Gene Whitt Flight Training Article Library | Back To 4VFR.COM