Flight Management System - Navigation Database

Navigation Database

All FMS contain a navigation database. The navigation database contains the elements from which the flight plan is constructed. These are defined via the ARINC 424 standard. The navigation database (NDB) is normally updated every 28 days, in order to ensure that its contents are current. Each FMS contains only a subset of the ARINC data, relevant to the capabilities of the FMS.

The NDB contains all of the information required for building a flight plan, consisting of:

• Waypoints/Intersection
• Airways (highways in the sky)
• Radio navigation aids including distance measuring equipment (DME), VHF omnidirectional range (VOR), non-directional beacons (NDBs) and instrument landing systems (ILSs).
• Airports
• Runways
• Standard instrument departure (SID)
• Standard terminal arrival (STAR)
• Holding patterns (only as part of IAPs-although can be entered by command of ATC or at pilot's discretion)
• Instrument approach procedure (IAP)

Waypoints can also be defined by the pilot(s) along the route or by reference to other waypoints with entry of a place in the form of a waypoint (e.g. a VOR, NDB, ILS, airport or waypoint/intersection)