Definition
A computerized system used by the FAA to continuously monitor the operational status of unattended navigation aids, communication facilities, and weather equipment from a central location, automatically reporting performance, faults, and outages to maintenance technicians.
Plain English
A system that lets the FAA keep an electronic eye on remote ground equipment from afar, so they know right away if something stops working properly.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA acronym lists, NOTAM-related material, and descriptions of aviation equipment that can be monitored without a technician standing beside it.
Derivation
Each word carries its plain meaning: 'remote' (at a distance), 'maintenance' (keeping equipment serviceable), 'monitoring' (watching the status of), 'system' (the integrated setup that does it). The point of the term is that maintenance staff don't have to be physically present at every site to know how it's performing.
Why Pilots Care
When a NAVAID, runway light, or weather sensor fails, RMMS is often what flags it — which then drives the NOTAM you read during preflight. Knowing this helps pilots understand why outage information is usually current and reliable.
Intuition Check
Remote does not mean remotely flown or optional. Here it means the equipment can be watched and checked from another location.
Example Sentence 1
The VOR outage was detected by RMMS within minutes and a NOTAM was issued before the next pilot filed a flight plan.
Example Sentence 2
Before departure the crew reviewed RMMS data to confirm all required maintenance had been completed.