Definition
An FAA online information system that holds the official policy, guidance, and directives used by FAA inspectors when overseeing pilots, operators, and aircraft. It contains the orders and notices that govern how the FAA evaluates and approves aviation activities, including the use of Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs).
Plain English
The FAA's official online library of the rules and instructions its inspectors follow. If you want to know how the FAA expects something to be done or approved, this is where the current guidance is published.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA handbooks and guidance material when a topic, such as Electronic Flight Bags, points the reader to a more detailed FAA policy source.
Derivation
The name describes its job. 'Flight Standards' is the FAA division responsible for setting the standards pilots and operators must meet. 'Information Management System' simply means an organized online system that stores and manages that information. Knowing this tells you the system is FAA-internal guidance, not regulation itself — the rules in FSIMS direct FAA staff in how to apply the regulations.
Why Pilots Care
References to FSIMS appear in FAA guidance that affects pilot procedures, approvals, and inspector expectations.
Intuition Check
FSIMS is not equipment in the airplane and not a feature inside an EFB. It is an FAA information source used to look up guidance.
Example Sentence 1
Before submitting the EFB authorization request, the operator reviewed the current guidance in FSIMS to confirm the evaluation steps had been completed correctly.
Example Sentence 2
Pilots reviewing FAA notices may be directed to public FSIMS documents for additional detail on a procedure change.