MODULE 4:

IFR NAVIGATION AND PROCEDURES

FMS

PPT1.1 PTS/PL191: BASICS OF NAVIGATION Rev No.01

 2. Navigation computer, VOR/DME
navigation
 The navigation computer uses signals from the
VOR/DME stations to determine position.
 The system automatically tunes the VOR/DME
stations by selecting stations which provide the best
angular fix determination.

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 Cont’d
 The computer uses DME/DME to
determine position if possible, and only
if two DMEs are not available the
system will use VOR/DME to determine
the position of the aircraft.
 The computer is navigating on the
great circle between waypoints
inserted into the system.

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 Cont’d
 The system has a navigational
database which may contain the
following elements:
 Reference data for airports (4-letter
ICAO identifier);
 VOR/DME station data (3-letter ICAO
identifier);
 Waypoint data (5-letter ICAO identifier);

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 Cont’d
 STAR data;
 SID data;
 Airport runway data including
thresholds and outer makers;
 NDB stations (alphabetic ICAO
identifier);
 Company flight-plan routes.

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 Cont’d
 The navigational database is valid for a
limited time, usually 28 days.
 The navigational database is read only,
but additional space exists so that crew
- created navigational data may be
saved in the computer memory. Such
additional data will also be deleted at
the 28- day navigational update of the
database.

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 Cont’d
 The computer receives a TAS input
from the air-data computer and a
heading input in order to calculate
actual wind velocity.

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 Cont’d
 The computer calculates track error in
relation to desired track.
 This data can easily be interfaced with
the automatic flight control, and
 when done so, it enables the aircraft to
automatically follow the flight plan
loaded into the RNAV computer.

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 Cont’d
 The computer is able to perform great-
circle navigation when receiving
VOR/DME stations.
 If out of range, the system reverts to
DR (Dead Reckoning) mode,
 where it updates the position by means
of last computed wind and TAS and
heading information.
 Operation in DR mode is time - limited.

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 Cont’d
 The system has “direct to” capability to
any waypoint.
 The system is capable of parallel offset
tracking.
 Any waypoint can be inserted into the
computer in one of the following ways:
 Alphanumeric ICAO identifier;
 Latitude and Longitude;
 Radial and Distance from a VOR station
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 3. Navigation computer input/output
 The following are input data into a 4D-
RNAV system:
 DME distances from DME stations;
 Radial from a VOR station;
 TAS and altitude from the air-data
computer;
 Heading from the aircraft‘s heading
system.

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 Cont’d
 The following are output data from a
4D-RNAV system:
 Distance to any waypoint;
 Estimated time overhead;
 Ground speed and TAS;
 True wind;
 Track error

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 Flight Management System (FMS) and
general terms
Objectives: the trainee will be able to
define;
1 . Navigation and flight management
2. Flight management computer
3. Navigation database
4. Performance database Typical
5. Input/output data from the FMC.
6. Determination of the FMS position of the
aircraft
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 FMS

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 1. Navigation and flight management

 The development of computers which

combine reliable liquid crystal displays
offer the means of accessing more data
and displaying them to the flight crew.
 A flight management system has the
ability to monitor and direct both
navigation and performance of the
flight.

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 Cont’d
 The two functions common to all FMS
systems:
 Automatic navigation Lateral
Navigation (LNAV);
 Flight path management Vertical
Navigation (VNAV).

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 Cont’d
 The main components of the FMS system
as being:
 Flight Management Computer (FMC);
 Control and Display Unit (CDU);
 Symbol generator;
 Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS)
consisting of the NAV display, including
mode selector and attitude display;
 Auto-throttle (A/T) and Flight Control
Computer (FCC).
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 2. Flight management computer

 The centre of the flight management system is the

FMC with its stored navigation and performance data.

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3. Navigation database
 The navigation database of the FMC
may contain the following data:
 Reference data for airports (4-letter
ICAO identifier);
 VOR/DME station data (3-letter ICAO
identifier);
 Waypoint data (5-letter ICAO identifier);

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 Cont’d
 STAR data;
 SID data;
 Holding patterns;
 Airport runway data;
 NDB stations (alphabetic ICAO
identifier);
 Company flight-plan routes.

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 Cont’d
 The navigation database is updated
every 28 days.
 The navigational database is write -
protected, but additional space exists
so that crew-created navigational data
may be saved in the computer‘s
memory.
 Such additional data will also be
deleted at the 28 -day navigational
update of the database.
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 4. Performance database
 The performance database stores all
the data relating to the specific
aircraft/engine configuration, and is
updated by ground staff when
necessary.
 The performance database of the FMC
contain the following data:
 V1, VR and V2 speeds;
 aircraft drag;

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 Cont’d
 engine-thrust characteristics;
 maximum and optimum operating altitudes;
 speeds for maximum and optimum climb;
 speeds for long-range cruise, maximum
endurance and holding;
 maximum Zero-Fuel Mass (ZFM), maximum
Take-Off Mass (TOM) and maximum Landing
Mass (LM);
 fuel-flow parameters;
 aircraft flight envelope
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 5. Typical input/output data from the
FMC . following are typical input data to
 The
the FMC:
 Time;
 Fuel flow;
 Total fuel;
 TAS, altitude, vertical speed, Mach
number and outside-air temperature
from the Air-Data Computer (ADC);

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 Cont’d

 DME and radial information from the VHF/NAV

receivers;
 Air/ground position;
 Flap/slat position;
 IRS and GPS positions;
 Control and Display Unit (CDU) entries

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 Cont’d
 The following are typical output data
from the FMC:
 Command signals to the flight directors
and autopilot;
 Command signals to the auto-throttle;
 Information to the EFIS displays
through the symbol generator;
 Data to the CDU and various
annunciators
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 6. Determination of the FMS position of
the aircraft
 Modern FMS may use a range of sensors for calculating
the position of the aircraft including
 VOR,
 DME,
 GPS, IRS and
 ILS.
 The information from the sensors used may be blended
into a single position by using the Kalman-filter method.
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 Cont’d
 The Kalman filter is an algorithm for
filtering incomplete and noisy
measurements of dynamical processes
so that errors of measurements from
different sensors are minimized, thus
leading to the calculated position being
more accurate than that produced by
any single sensor.

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 Typical flight-deck equipment fitted on
FMS aircraft

1 Control and Display Unit (CDU).

 The communication link between the flight crew and
the FMC is the CDU.
 The main components of the CDU as follows:
 CDU display including the following terms:
 Page title,
 Data field,
 Scratch pad;
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 Cont’d

 line-select keys;
 Numeric keys;
 Alpha keys
 Function and mode keys used to select
specific data pages on the CDU display, to
execute orders or to navigate to pages
through the data presented;
 Warning lights, message light and offset
light.
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 2. EFIS instruments (attitude display,
navigation display).
 FMS-equipped aircraft typically has two displays on the
instrument panel in front of each pilot.
 The following data are typically displayed on the attitude
display:
 Attitude information;
 Flight director command bars;
 Radio height and barometric altitude;
 Course deviation indication;
 Glide-path information (when an ILS is tuned);
 Speed information.
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 3. Typical modes of the navigation
display
 The following typical modes of the
navigation display:
 Full VOR/ILS mode showing the whole
compass rose;
 Expanded (arc) VOR/ILS mode showing
the forward 90° sector;
 Map mode;
 Plan mode.

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 4. Typical information on the navigation
display.
 The following information typically shown on a
navigation display in “Full VOR/ILS” mode:
 The map display will be in full VOR mode when a VOR
frequency is selected, and full ILS mode when an ILS
frequency is selected on the VHF NAV frequency
selector;
 DME distance to selected DME station ;
 A full 360° compass rose
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 cont’d

 At the top of the compass rose,

 present heading is indicated and shown as digital
numbers in a heading box.
 Next to the heading box it is indicated whether the
heading is true or magnetic.
 True heading is available on aircraft with IRS.

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 Cont’d
 A triangle (different symbols are used on
different aircraft) on the compass rose
indicates present track.
 Track indication is only available when the FMC
navigation computer is able to compute the
aircraft‘s position.
 A square symbol on the outside of the
compass rose indicates the selected heading
for the autopilot, and
 If “heading select” mode is activated on the
autopilot, this is the heading the aircraft will
turn to.
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 Cont’d
 Within the compass rose, a CDI is shown.
 On the CDI, the course pointer points to
the selected VOR/ILS course SET on the
OBS.
 On the CDI, the course deviation bar will
indicate angular deflection from the
selected VOR/ILS track.
 Full-scale deflection side to side in VOR
mode is 20°, and 5° in ILS mode.
 In VOR mode , a TO/FROM indication is
shown on the display.
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 Cont’d
 The selected ILS/VOR frequency is
shown.
 ILS or VOR mode is shown according to
the selected frequency.
 If an ILS frequency is selected, a glide-
path deviation scale is shown.
 A wind arrow indicating wind direction
according to the compass rose, and
velocity in numbers next to the arrow
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 Cont’d
 An EFIS navigation display in full
VOR/ILS mode, read off the following
information:
 Heading (magnetic/true);
 Track (magnetic/true);
 Drift;
 Wind correction angle;
 Selected course;

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 Cont’d
 Actual radial;
 Left or Right of selected track;
 Above or below the glide path;
 Distance to the DME station;
 Selected heading for the autopilot
heading select bug;
 Determine whether the display is in
VOR or ILS rose mode

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 Cont’d
 An EFIS navigation display in expanded
VOR/ILS mode, read off the following
information:
 Heading (magnetic/true);
 Track (magnetic/true);
 Drift;
 Wind correction angle;
 Tailwind/headwind;
 Wind velocity;
 Selected course;
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 Cont’d
 Actual radial;
 Left or Right of selected track;
 Above or below the glide path;
 Distance to the DME station;
 Selected heading for the autopilot
heading select bug;
 State whether the display is in VOR or
ILS rose mode

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 Cont’d
 An EFIS navigation display in map
mode, read off the following
information:
 Heading (magnetic/true);
 Track (magnetic/true);
 Drift;
 Wind correction angle;
 Tailwind/headwind;
 Wind velocity;
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 Cont’d
 Left or Right of the FMS track;
 Distance to active waypoint;
 ETO next waypoint;
 Selected heading for the autopilot
heading select bug;
 Determine whether a depicted symbol
is a VOR/DME station or an airport;
 Determine whether a specific waypoint
is part of the FMS route
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 Cont’d
 An EFIS navigation display in plan mode, read off
the following information:
 Heading (magnetic/true)
 Track (magnetic/true)
 Drift;
 Wind correction angle;
 Distance to active waypoint;
 ETO active waypoint;
 The selected heading for the autopilot heading
select bug;
 Measure and state true track of specific FMS route
track
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