Flight Management Systems Can Help, or Challenge Single-Pilot Operators

While a flight management system (FMS) is designed to make things easier for a pilot, it can also make flying more difficult. An FMS helps a pilot keep track of where they are, fuel burn, weather and traffic conditions and more, but, “if you’re so overly focused on how to do the FMS, it takes away a lot of your time from flying the airplane and managing it,” said pilot Long Nguyen. Also, he said, FMS can vary from airplane to airplane, so pilots must take the time to familiarize themselves with a system before take-off.