AERONAUTICAL CHARTS

Pilots can obtain most aeronautical charts and publications produced by the FAA National Aeronautical Charting Office (NACO). They are available by subscription or one-time sales through a network of FAA chart agents primarily located at or near major civil airports. Additionally, opportunities to purchase or download aeronautical publications online are expanding, which provides pilots quicker and more convenient access to the latest information. Civil aeronautical charts for the U.S. and its territories, and possessions are produced according to a 56-day IFR chart cycle by NACO, which is part of the FAA’s Technical Ops Aviation Systems Standards (AJW-3). Comparable IFR charts and publications are available from commercial sources, including charted visual flight procedures, airport qualification charts, etc.

Most charts and publications described in this chapter can be obtained by subscription or one-time sales from NACO. Charts and publications are also available through a network of FAA chart agents primarily located at or near major civil airports. To order online, use the “Catalogs/Ordering Info” link at http://www.naco.faa.gov. Below is the contact information for NACO.

FAA, National Aeronautical Charting Office
Distribution Division AJW-3550
10201 Good Luck Road
Glenn Dale, MD 20769-9700
Telephone (301) 436-8301
(800) 638-8972 toll free, U.S. only
FAX (301) 436-6829
Email: 9-AMC-chartsales@faa.gov

IFR charts are revised more frequently than VFR charts because chart currency is critical for safe operations. Selected NACO IFR charts and products available include IFR navigation charts, planning charts, supplementary charts and publications, and digital products. IFR navigation charts include the following:

• IFR En route High Altitude Charts (Conterminous U.S. and Alaska):
  En route high altitude charts are designed for navigation at or above 18,000 feet MSL. This four-color chart series includes the jet route structure; VHF NAVAIDs with frequency, identification, channel, geographic coordinates; selected airports; and reporting points. The chart scales vary from 1 inch = 45 NM to 1 inch = 18 NM. The size is 55 x 20 inches folded to 5 x 10 inches. Revised every 56 days. [Figure 1-19 ]
• U.S. Terminal Procedures Publication (TPP) TPPs are published in 20 loose-leaf or perfect bound volumes covering the conterminous U.S., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. A Change Notice is published at the midpoint between revisions in bound volume format. [Figure 1-20]
• Instrument Approach Procedure (IAP) Charts: IAP charts portray the aeronautical data that is required to execute instrument approaches to airports. Each chart depicts the IAP, all related navigation data, communications information, and an airport sketch. Each procedure is designated for use with a specific electronic navigational aid, such as an ILS, VOR, NDB, RNAV, etc.
• Instrument Departure Procedure (DP) Charts: There are two types of departure procedures; Standard Instrument Departures (SIDs) and Obstacle Departure Procedures (ODPs). SIDs will always be in a graphic format and are designed to assist ATC by expediting clearance delivery and to facilitate transition between takeoff and en route operations. ODPs are established to ensure proper obstacle clearance and are either textual or graphic, depending on complexity.

• Standard Terminal Arrival (STAR) Charts: STAR charts are designed to expedite ATC arrival procedures and to facilitate transition between en route and instrument approach operations. They depict preplanned IFR ATC arrival procedures in graphic and textual form. Each STAR procedure is presented as a separate chart and may serve either a single airport or more than one airport in a given geographic area.
• Airport Diagrams: Full page airport diagrams are designed to assist in the movement of ground traffic at locations with complex runway and taxiway configurations and provide information for updating geodetic position navigational systems aboard aircraft.
  
• Alaska Terminal Procedures Publication:
  This publication contains all terminal flight procedures for civil and military aviation in Alaska. Included are IAP charts, DP charts, STAR charts, airport diagrams, radar minimums, and supplementary support data such as IFR alternate minimums, take-off minimums, rate of descent tables, rate of climb tables, and inoperative components tables. The volume is 5-3/8 x 8-1/4 inches top bound, and is revised every 56 days with provisions for a Terminal Change Notice, as required.

• U.S. IFR/VFR Low Altitude Planning Chart: This chart is designed for preflight and en route flight planning for IFR/VFR flights. Depiction includes low altitude airways and mileage, NAVAIDs, airports, special use airspace, cities, time zones, major drainage, a directory of airports with their airspace classification, and a mileage table showing great circle distances between major airports. The chart scale is 1 inch = 47 NM/1:3,400,000, and is revised annually, available either folded or unfolded for wall mounting.

Supplementary charts and publications include:

• Airport/Facility Directory (A/FD): This seven volume booklet series contains data on airports, seaplane bases, heliports, NAVAIDs, communications data, weather data sources, airspace, special notices, and operational procedures. The coverage includes the conterminous U.S., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The A/FD shows data that cannot be readily depicted in graphic form; e.g., airport hours of operations, types of fuel available, runway widths, lighting codes, etc. The A/FD also provides a means for pilots to update visual charts between edition dates, and is published every 56 days. The volumes are sidebound 5-3/8 x 8-1/4 inches.
• Supplement Alaska: This is a civil/military flight information publication issued by the FAA every 56 days. This booklet is designed for use with appropriate IFR or VFR charts. The Supplement Alaska contains an airport/facility directory, airport sketches, communications data, weather data sources, airspace, listing of navigational facilities, and special notices and procedures. The volume is side-bound 5-3/8 x 8-1/4 inches.
• Chart Supplement Pacific: This supplement is designed for use with appropriate VFR or IFR en route charts. Included in this booklet are the airport/ facility directory, communications data, weather data sources, airspace, navigational facilities, special notices, and Pacific area procedures. IAP charts, DP charts, STAR charts, airport diagrams, radar minimums, and supporting data for the Hawaiian and Pacific Islands are included. The manual is published every 56 days. The volume is side-bound 5-3/8 x 8-1/4 inches.
• North Pacific Route Charts: These charts are designed for FAA controllers to monitor transoceanic flights. They show established intercontinental air routes, including reporting points with geographic positions. The Composite Chart scale is 1 inch = 164 NM/1:12,000,000. 48 x 41- 1/2 inches. Area Chart scales are 1 inch = 95.9 NM/1:7,000,000. The size is 52 x 40-1/2 inches. All charts shipped unfolded. The charts are revised every 56 days.
• North Atlantic Route Chart: Designed for FAA controllers to monitor transatlantic flights, this five-color chart shows oceanic control areas, coastal navigation aids, oceanic reporting points, and NAVAID geographic coordinates. The full size chart scale is 1 inch = 113.1 NM/1:8,250,000, shipped flat only. The half size chart scale is 1 inch = 150.8 NM/1:11,000,000. The size is 29-3/4 x 20- 1/2 inches, shipped folded to 5 x 10 inches only, and is revised every 56 weeks.
• FAA Aeronautical Chart User’s Guide: This publication is designed to be used as a teaching aid and reference document. It describes the substantial amount of information provided on the FAA’s aeronautical charts and publications. It includes explanations and illustrations of chart terms and symbols organized by chart type. It is available online at: http://www.naco.faa.gov/index.asp?xml=naco/online/aero_guide
• Airport/Facility Directory (A/FD)
                                                                                                                                                                                                Digital products include:
• The NAVAID Digital Data File: This file contains a current listing of NAVAIDs that are compatible with the NAS. Updated every 56 days, the file contains all NAVAIDs including ILS and its components, in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands plus bordering facilities in Canada, Mexico, and the Atlantic and Pacific areas. The file is available by subscription only, on a 3.5- inch, 1.4 megabyte diskette.
• The Digital Obstacle File: This file describes all obstacles of interest to aviation users in the U.S., with limited coverage of the Pacific, Caribbean, Canada, and Mexico. The obstacles are assigned unique numerical identifiers, accuracy codes, and listed in order of ascending latitude within each state or area. The file is updated every 56 days, and is available on 3.5-inch, 1.4 megabyte diskettes.
• The Digital Aeronautical Chart Supplement (DACS): The DACS is a subset of the data provided to FAA controllers every 56 days. It reflects digitally what is shown on the en route high and low charts. The DACS is designed to be used with aeronautical charts for flight planning purposes only. It should not be used as a substitute for a chart. The DACS is available on two 3.5-inch diskettes, compressed format. The supplement is divided into the following nine individual sections:

Section 1: High Altitude Airways, Conterminous U.S.
Section 2: Low Altitude Airways, Conterminous U.S.
Section 3: Selected Instrument Approach Procedure NAVAID and Fix Data
Section 4: Military Training Routes
Section 5: Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, and Selected Oceanic Routes
Section 6: STARs, Standard Terminal Arrivals
Section 7: DPs, Instrument Departure Procedures
Section 8: Preferred IFR Routes (low and high altitude)
Section 9: Air Route and Airport Surveillance Radar Facilities