A - FMS (14-06-18)

Question 1

What does the FMS comprise of?

Answer 1

FMCS (flight management computer system)

AFDS (autopilot/flight director system)

Autothrottle

IRS

Question 2

What are the functions of the FMS?

Answer 2

Manage automatic navigation

Optimise flight performance and fuel efficiency

Question 3

What do boxes and dashes represent on a CDU?

Answer 3

Boxes are spaces for compulsory information

dashes are optional (but will improve performance if known)

Question 4

How often if the nav database updated?

Answer 4

Every 28 days

Question 5

What is a data bus?

Answer 5

Where the transfer of data between systems takes place

Question 6

What is included in the navigation database?

Answer 6

SIDs

STARs

Airways

waypoints

airfields

Approaches

runways

pre programmed company routes

(basically anywhere a plane is supposed to be)

Question 7

What kind of information is found in the performance manual?

Answer 7

Info that is normally found in the A/C performance manual

Question 8

What is the perfomance index?

Answer 8

A value that is used in the CDU to adjust performance data for older aircraft that might not be able to achieve it.

Question 9

What are the 3 principle sources of information for the FMS?

Answer 9

Inertial info

info from sensors

info from on board databases

Question 10

What are the 2 methods of measuring fuel on board an aircraft and how are they used?

Answer 10

The totaliser - which measures the fuel in each tank and adds them

The calculation - using measured fuel flow during the flight and initial fuel input to calculate the fuel on board

If the calculated is higher than the totaliser it could indicate a leak.