Cheap, Safe, Legal VFR Charts

petehowell · #1 01-17-2011, 10:13 AM

Hello!

I am getting ready to get the new Airchart WAC atlas. It has been a great way to get all the sectionals I need for a year of safe, legal XC RV trips.

Does anybody have any thing better at the same or better price point? ($109)

pierre smith · #2 01-17-2011, 11:41 AM

...for a 530 mile trip to Indiana and simply zoomed in 'til I could read that page and printed it....then move the map by dragging it print again. It took 6 sheets of 8 X 10 paper...FREE!...and it's current...you can do sectionals or low altitude charts.

Plus, you can get weather overlaid,

Then again, my iPad does even better

Best,

petehowell · #3 01-17-2011, 11:47 AM

BTW, that was one dapper young guy in uniform you posted earlier!

I have done the same with runwayfinder (back in the day...) and it works great as a way to follow the trip on my lap - I even add text boxes with frequencies and notes to make it a one stop-shop for info.

I use this but keep the WAC atlas behind the seat in case I get checked. My guess it that this is one of those never ending battle questions, but are the downloaded and printed charts legal if you get checked?

Sam Buchanan · #4 01-17-2011, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petehowell

BTW, that was one dapper young guy in uniform you posted earlier!

I have done the same with runwayfinder (back in the day...) and it works great as a way to follow the trip on my lap - I even add text boxes with frequencies and notes to make it a one stop-shop for info.

I use this but keep the WAC atlas behind the seat in case I get checked. My guess it that this is one of those never ending battle questions, but are the downloaded and printed charts legal if you get checked?

Pete, I don't think you are required to have "legal" charts for VFR flights, only whatever info is needed for the safe conclusion of the flight. Prudence may dictate a current set, however.

petehowell · #5 01-17-2011, 12:42 PM

Hi Sam,

Yep - I guess prudence is what gets me to pony up for the chart book now that the Missus likes to travel far and wide in the RV......

Thanks for the replies guys!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam Buchanan

Pete, I don't think you are required to have "legal" charts for VFR flights, only whatever info is needed for the safe conclusion of the flight. Prudence may dictate a current set, however.

dlloyd3 · #6 01-17-2011, 01:21 PM

Pete,
For years I flew my 14 state sales territory using Airchart WACs, Low Altitude IFR charts, and insturment approaches. Always in the plane, always current, always in order, everything right there, nothing to forget. Sometimes the boss called and asked if I could run over to New York, Arkansas or Ohio to look at something, sure, no problem.

petehowell · #7 01-17-2011, 01:29 PM

Pretty much my thoughts, too. I'll bring lunch in a bag for a few weeks to offset the cost and be happy all around.

Thanks for the input!

Quote:

Originally Posted by dlloyd3

Pete,
For years I flew my 14 state sales territory using Airchart WACs, Low Altitude IFR charts, and insturment approaches. Always in the plane, always current, always in order, everything right there, nothing to forget. Sometimes the boss called and asked if I could run over to New York, Arkansas or Ohio to look at something, sure, no problem.

az_gila · #8 01-17-2011, 02:58 PM

If you are an EAA member you can use their version of Aeroplanner - it's also FREE.

It has the ability to print AAA-like trip-tik maps, which is probably better than printing random sections of charts of Flightplan.

For flying around your home area, the new EZFlightChart book is handy, and contains all of the terminal area charts that are in the area covered by the particular sectional.

https://www.ezflightchart.com/Phoeni...hoenix_vfr.htm

Not so good if you want to draw a long straight line for a cross-country though...

Jamie · #9 01-17-2011, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petehowell

Hello!

I am getting ready to get the new Airchart WAC atlas. It has been a great way to get all the sectionals I need for a year of safe, legal XC RV trips.

Does anybody have any thing better at the same or better price point? ($109)

The caveat with these Airchart atlases is the updates only come in long hand form with very vague descriptions of them. If, for example, class B airspace changes you will receive a description of the change in long-hand. Maybe legal, but IMHO not very helpful unless you're really good at visualizing trigonometry.

DeltaRomeo · #10 01-17-2011, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petehowell

Hello! I am getting ready to get the new Airchart WAC atlas. It has been a great way to get all the sectionals I need for a year of safe, legal XC RV trips. Does anybody have any thing better at the same or better price point? ($109)

Assuming you have an iPad (or netbook of some kind).....

What I do:

1. Download all WAC charts (free) from HERE (sectionals also from HERE).
2. Copy them to my iPad and read them with Goodreader ($2.99).
3. Throw the iPad in my flight bag.

Note: I also copy them to my 16GB Swiss Army Knife/Memory Stick (more) in case I'm in front of a computer with a huge monitor and a free USB port.