Configure Event Definition Sets
Event Definition Sets are the rules engine behind Flight Data Monitoring (FDM). Each set contains exceedance rules that tell FDM what to flag, how severe to rate it, and who to alert. This article walks you through creating a set, building its rules, assigning it to aircraft, and publishing it — intended for admins with the Manage Event Definitions permission.
What an Event Definition Set does
A set groups one or more exceedance rules. Each rule watches a flight parameter (airspeed, Roll Angle, vertical speed, and so on) and fires when actual flight data crosses your defined threshold. When a rule fires, FDM records an event and assigns it a priority:
P1 — Safety Critical
P2 — Operational
P3 — Training
A single operator can maintain multiple sets — for example, one set for Cessna 172s and another for multi-engine aircraft. FDM applies whichever set matches the flight's aircraft.
Before you start
Confirm you have these prerequisites in place:
FSP permission Manage Event Definitions (granted under FSP → Settings → Users → Roles & Permissions → Edit Role → Flight Data Monitoring section).
At least one aircraft receiving FDM data (via Levil, AirSync, Garmin, or manual import). See the "Configure FDM settings" article for ingestion setup.
Aircraft V-speeds entered in FSP if you intend to use airspeed-arc rules or maneuver detection.
Open the Events page
Select Events in the sidebar. The page shows a Definition Set picker at the top with the active set's name and an Active badge, alongside Manage Set and New Set buttons. Below that, a draft banner reports the set's version state — for example, v43 pending · v42 live · 58 rules — with History, View Live (vN), Discard Draft, and Publish Rules controls.
Create a new set
On the Events page, select New Set.
In the New Set modal, enter: - Set Name — a clear, aircraft-type-specific name (for example,
Cessna 172 Set). - Assignment Criteria — the aircraft or fleet this set applies to. Leave blank to apply to every aircraft (FDM shows an amber warning: No criteria — this set will apply to every aircraft). - P1 / P2 / P3 Recipients (optional) — individuals to notify when an event at each priority fires.Select Create Set. FDM creates the set in draft state.
⚠️ Wildcard assignment: a set with no assignment criteria acts as a catch-all. If you have multiple sets, only one should be a wildcard — or none, to keep coverage explicit.
Build exceedance rules
Rules live inside context tabs that correspond to flight phases. After opening your draft set, you see these tabs:
Tab | Flight phase |
On Ground | Before takeoff roll |
On Takeoff | Takeoff roll through initial climb |
In Flight | Cruise / general airborne |
On Approach | Final approach segment |
At Touchdown | Touchdown through rollout |
Anytime | Applies across all phases |
Each context tab lists its rules in a table with Priority, Name, and a per-rule Events count. Each rule row also offers Filter events to this rule and Remove rule. Rules show a short condition summary — for example, GS > 20kts • 6s • Taxi.
Add a rule
Select the context tab where the exceedance applies.
Select Add Rule. The Add Exceedance Rule builder opens.
Configure the rule: - Parameter — choose the flight parameter to monitor (airspeed, Roll Angle, pitch, vertical speed, altitude, and others from the parameter catalog). - Condition — options depend on the parameter type:
Numeric: Greater Than / Less Than / Outside Range / Rate of Change with Threshold + Unit
Categorical: Equals / Is One Of (with a value picker)
Threshold — the value the parameter must cross to fire the rule.
Duration — how long the condition must persist before firing. Enter
0to fire instantly.Priority — P1, P2, or P3.
Maneuver — optionally Include or Exclude a specific maneuver type to narrow when the rule applies.
Multiple conditions on the same rule are AND'd — all conditions must be true simultaneously.
Select Add Rule to create the rule. (When editing an existing rule, this button reads Save Changes.)
Repeat for every exceedance you want to detect. Rules within a set can span multiple context tabs.
Manage set details and recipients
To edit the set's name, assignment criteria, or per-priority alert recipients at any time:
On the Events page, select the Manage Set button next to the set name.
Update Set Name, Assignment Criteria, or recipient lists for P1 / P2 / P3.
Use Deactivate or Delete here if needed.
Select Save Changes.
Alert recipients receive email and, if configured, SMS notifications. SMS uses the phone number on the recipient's FSP profile and requires one-time opt-in consent (STOP to unsubscribe, HELP for info). Each user manages their own notification preferences on the My Preferences page in the FDM sidebar.
Publish and activate
A set in draft state is not applied to incoming flights until you publish it.
When you're satisfied with your rules, select Publish Rules from the draft banner (vN pending · vM live · K rules). To preview the currently live version before publishing, use View Live (vN).
FDM shows a confirmation dialog. If your detection rules changed, existing flights are reprocessed automatically against the new rules after you publish — you do not opt in. If only names, descriptions, sort order, or notification settings changed, reprocessing is skipped. Note: one reprocess job runs per operator at a time, so starting another while one is already running just reopens the existing progress panel.
Confirm. FDM snapshots the set as the new live version (for example, v43) and the banner updates to vN is live · K rules.
Publish blocked? You need at least one enabled rule to publish. The Publish Rules button stays clickable even when the set has no enabled rules — selecting it shows an error message instead of publishing. Add and save at least one rule, then publish again.
After publishing, ensure the set is in Active state. An inactive set is saved but not evaluated against new flights.
Reprocess note on tags
Tags do not protect an event from being deleted on reprocess. An event is durable across a reprocess only if it has been included in reports or linked to a Safety Report. See the "How to monitor and triage events" article for durability details.
View version history
To review or restore a prior version:
On the Events page, select History next to the set name.
The version-history modal lists all published versions (v1 through current).
Select Republish next to any prior version to restore it as the live set.
Troubleshooting
Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
Publish Rules shows an error on click instead of publishing | No enabled rules in the set | Add and save at least one rule, then publish again |
Amber banner: No criteria — this set will apply to every aircraft | Assignment Criteria left blank | Open Manage Set and add criteria, or accept wildcard behavior intentionally |
Expected events not appearing after publish | Set is not Active, or assignment criteria doesn't match the aircraft | Check Active/Inactive state; verify assignment criteria against the aircraft tail |
Alert recipients not receiving SMS | No phone on FSP profile, or SMS consent not given | Confirm phone number on FSP profile; recipient must complete one-time SMS opt-in |