Definition
A flight management system that draws position and navigation data from more than one source — typically GPS, inertial reference, and ground-based radio aids such as VOR/DME — and blends them to produce a single, continuously updated aircraft position and flight plan solution.
Plain English
A flight computer that listens to several different navigation sources at once and combines their information so it always has the best possible picture of where the aircraft is.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument flying, especially when discussing airborne navigation databases, procedure loading, and how the aircraft’s navigation computer determines position.
Derivation
‘Multi’ (Latin: many) + ‘sensor’ (a device that detects something) + FMS (Flight Management System). The name simply says what it is: an FMS that uses many sensors rather than relying on one.
Why Pilots Care
Provides continuous, reliable position information even when individual sensors are weak or unavailable, supporting safer instrument flight.
Intuition Check
Multisensor does not mean every sensor is always being used at the same time. It means the FMS can use more than one source and may choose or combine the available sources according to its design.
Example Sentence 1
The crew confirmed that the multisensor FMS was using GPS as its primary position source, with DME/DME as a backup.
Example Sentence 2
Before loading the approach, the pilot verified that the multisensor FMS had a valid position from at least two sensors.