Flight management system. Auto Flight System

Flight management system

A flight management system or FMS is a computerized avionics component found on most commercial and business aircraft to assist pilots in navigation, flight planning, and aircraft control functions.

It is considered to be composed of three major components: FMC (Flight Management Computer), AFS (Auto Flight System), and Navigation System including IRS (Inertial Reference System) and GPS.

EFIS (Electronic Flight Instrument System) is not an FMS component, though it is an important interface between FMS and pilots.

FMC is taken as the core of FMS, which works as a head of the whole system. Its primary function is to:

· Give out real-time lateral navigation information by showing the route programmed by the pilots, as well as other pertinent information from the database, such as standard departure and arrival procedures. This information combined with the location of the aircraft creates a moving map display.

· Calculate performance data and predicted vertical profile. Based on weight of the aircraft, Cost Index and Cruise Altitude, preferably with predicted wind, FMC calculate a most fuel efficient vertical path that AFS would follow if AFS is engaged and both of VNAV and LNAV are engaged.

Auto Flight System

If FMC is taken as the " head" of the system which does the calculation and gives out command, AFS is the system who accomplishes it. AFS is composed of AFDS (A/P-Autopilot-F/D-(Flight Director) and A/T (Auto throttle) if the aircraft is equipped with A/T. It is the one who flies the airplane with one hand on the control wheel (when A/P is engaged), and the other hand on the throttle (when A/T is engaged).

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