Flight Management System (FMS)

A flight management system (FMS) is a fundamental component of a modern aircraft’s

The primary function of FMS is flight plan construction and subsequent construction of the 4-
D aircraft trajectory defined by the specified flight plan legs and constraints and the aircraft
performance. Flight plan and trajectory prediction work together to produce the 4-D
trajectory and consolidate all the relevant trajectory information into a flight plan/profile
buffer. The other functions include:
1. Navigation function – responsible for determining the best estimate of the current
position of the aircraft.
2. Flight planning function – allows the crew to establish a specific routing for the
aircraft.
 3. Performance function – provides the crew with unique performance information
regarding aircraft such as takeoff speeds, altitude capability, and profile optimization
advisories.
4. Guidance functions – responsible for producing commands to guide the aircraft along
computed lateral and vertical profiles.

Navigation Function

FMS computes the aircraft’s current state using combinations of autonomous sensors (INS,
IRS, Air data etc.) and navigation receivers (GNSS, VOR, DME etc.). The aircraft’s current
state data usually consists of:
1. 3-D position (latitude, longitude and altitude)
2. Velocity vector
3. Altitude rate
4. Track angle, heading and drift angle
5. Wind vector
6. Estimated Position Uncertainty (EPU)
7. Time
The position update information from the navigation receivers is used to calibrate the position
and velocity data from the autonomous sensors, thereby providing an error model for the
autonomous sensors. This error model allows for navigation coasting based on the
autonomous sensors while maintaining a very slow growth in the Estimated Position
Uncertainty (EPU). If the updating from navigation aids such as DME, VOR or GNSS is
temporarily interrupted, navigation accuracy is reasonably maintained, resulting in seamless
operations. This capability becomes very important for Area Navigation (RNAV) where the
coasting capability allows continuing flying RNAV even if the primary updating source such
as GNSS is lost.
FMS can also perform navigation receiver management. The various navigation receivers
require different levels of FMS management to obtain a position update solution. GNSS
receiver is self-managing and does not require any commands or processing by FMS. But
other nav-aid receivers such as DME/VOR/ILS need management by FMS. The receivers
must be tuned to an appropriate station to receive data. The crew may manually tune these
receivers but FMS navigation function provides auto-tuning the receivers by selecting an
appropriate set of stations from the stored database.
All RNP specifications except RNP 10 need On-board Performance Monitoring and Alerting.
So the Estimated Position Uncertainty (EPU) is to be statistically calculated. EPU is also
known as Actual Navigation Performance (ANP)/Estimated Position Error (EPE).
EPU/ANP/EPE is not an estimate of the actual error but a defined statistical indication of
potential error. FMS can calculate the EPU based on the error characteristics of the particular
sensor being used and the variance of the individual sensor’s position with respect to other
sensors. If the EPU value grows larger than the RNP required for the operation within the
airspace, the crew will be alerted.
Flight Planning Function

The FMS flight planning function provides for the assembly, modification and activation of
the route data. Route data is typically extracted from the Flight Management Computer’s
navigation data base and normally consists of:
1. SID/STAR/Approach Procedures
2. Airways (ATS Routes)
3. Prestored company routes
4. Fixes (en-route waypoints, Terminal waypoints, Airport reference points, runway
thresholds, Nav-aids etc.)
5. Crew defined fixes
To meet the tactical and strategic flight planning requirements, the flight planning
function provides various ways to modify the flight plan at the crew’s discretion. Some of
these include:
1. Direct-to any fix
2. Direct/Intercept – Proceed to any fix through a desired inbound track
3. Holding pattern
4. Missed approach procedures – either the defined missed approach or manually
constructed as instructed by ATC
5. Lateral Offset
FMS can also provide other flight planning functions which consists of selection of speed,
altitude, time constraints at waypoints, cruise altitude selection etc. A variety of optimized
speed schedules for the various flight phases can be calculated and provided by the FMS.

Performance Computation Function

The performance function provides the crew information to help optimize the flight or
provide performance information that would otherwise have to be ascertained from the
aircraft performance manual. The performance that needs optimized is different for each
performance mode selection such as Climb rate or descent rate can be selected based on Cost
Index or maximum rate of climb/descent or Required time of arrival (RTA) etc. Similarly
cruise speed can be optimized for best economy based on Cost Index or for maximum
endurance or for best fuel mileage or Required time of arrival (RTA).
Other important parameters for flight crew are optimum and maximum altitude for
aircraft/engine type, weight, atmospheric conditions; engine-out performance predictions for
the loss of a least one engine such as climb at engine-out climb speed, cruise at engine-out
cruise speed, use of maximum continuous thrust etc. FMS can implement the performance
computation of the above parameters and reduce the cockpit workload for the crew.
Guidance Function

The FMS typically computes roll axis, pitch axis, and thrust axis commands to guide the
aircraft to the computed lateral and vertical profiles. Guidance information is sent to the
displays in the form of lateral and vertical path information, path deviations, target speeds,
thrust limits and targets, and command mode information.
The lateral guidance function typically computes dynamic guidance data based on the
predicted lateral profile. The guidance data includes the following information:
1. Distance to go to the active lateral waypoint (DTG)
2. Desired track (DTRK)
3. Track angle error (TRKERR)
4. Cross-track error (XTRK)
5. Drift angle (DA)
6. Bearing to the go to waypoint (BRG)
7. Lateral track change alert (LNAV alert)
The vertical guidance function provides commands of pitch, pitch rate and thrust control to
the parameters of target speeds, target thrusts, target altitudes and target vertical speeds.
Similar to lateral guidance function, vertical guidance provides dynamic guidance parameters
for the active vertical leg to provide crew with vertical situation awareness. But the vertical
guidance parameters are flight phase dependent i.e. different parameters during take-off,
climb, cruise, descent, approach and missed approach. For example during take-off phase
vertical deviation guidance is not required but in descent and approach phases vertical
deviation guidance is required.

Trajectory Prediction Function

The trajectory prediction function computes the predicted four-dimensional flight profile
(both lateral and vertical) of the aircraft within the specified flight plan constraints and
aircraft performance limitations based on entered atmospheric data and the crew-selected
modes of operation. The flight profile is continuously updated to account for non-forecasted
conditions and tactical diversions from the specified flight plan. The Flight path trajectory
can be broken into lateral flight trajectory and vertical flight trajectory. The lateral flight
trajectory and vertical flight trajectory are still interdependent as they are coupled to each
other through the ground speed parameter.
The lateral flight profile is defined in terms of straight segments and turn segments which
begin and end at navigational aids or geographical waypoints. Computing these segments
manually can be difficult because the turn transition distance and certain leg termination
points are a function of predicted aircraft speed, wind, altitude etc. But a Flight Management
Computer can calculate the trajectory taking into consideration the constraints, atmospheric
data and performance limitations. The FMC can compute the desired performance speed,
climb rate, bank angle etc., based on a trade-off between passenger comfort and airspace
required to perform a lateral manoeuvre.