How can an FMS assist pilots during flight?

An FMS, or Flight Management System, plays a crucial role in assisting pilots during flight, primarily through the provision of real-time navigation data. This advanced system integrates various components, including waypoints, airways, and altitude constraints, allowing pilots to follow a predetermined route more efficiently.

Real-time navigation data helps pilots maintain situational awareness, plan their route more effectively, and make adjustments as necessary due to changing circumstances, such as weather or air traffic. The FMS also automates many aspects of navigation, reducing pilot workload and enhancing safety by minimizing the possibility of human error.

The other options do not accurately reflect the primary functions of an FMS. While factors like fuel management and maintenance schedules are important for overall operational efficiency, they are not central to the role of the FMS in real-time navigation and flight management. Additionally, predicting air traffic patterns is typically the responsibility of Air Traffic Control rather than the FMS itself.