Does anyone out there have any experience with Air Charts for IFR flying? With all of the separate Jepp subscriptions (dual Garmins, flight planning updates, paper charts) it gets pretty pricey and Jepp doesn’t have any package pricing. It looks like you might be able to save a few bucks with Air Charts but I’m curious if anyone has any experience with them.
I use Air Charts and they have strong and weak points.
Strong:
-
Very nice and useful bound chart books. No more awkward chart folding. The IFR charts are just like the NOS charts. The VFR charts are WAC, for the most part, with Sectional inserts for areas around class B & C airspace. Also included are IFR-like VFR charts that make VOR to VOR and GPS nav a snap.
-
Less expensive than Jepps.
Weak:
-
Some aspects of the system are designed, IMHO, to be more “legal” than useful. Although most of the info in the AFD can be found somewhere in the Air Chart pubs, it’s scattered all over the place and difficult to find in a hurry (at least for me).
-
It takes some discipline to keep up with the changes, which you mostly enter manually. On the plus side, the changes are issued cumulatively (the most recent change includes all previous ones) and the changes are shown geographically, so you only need to check the area you’re going to fly through. But… you have to check and that takes some discipline.
-
To save space the changes use some pretty cryptic abbreviations, and rely on sequence of entries to identify what each data element is, etc. Also freqs are often truncated – again to save space.
All-in-all I’m happy with the system, especially the bound chart books. They’re worth the price alone. Also, as long as you have the latest change notice with you, your charts are up-to-date for FAA purposes, even if those changes are not entered.
Joe Mazza
Does anyone out there have any experience with Air Charts for IFR flying? With all of the separate Jepp subscriptions (dual Garmins, flight planning updates, paper charts) it gets pretty pricey and Jepp doesn’t have any package pricing. It looks like you might be able to save a few bucks with Air Charts but I’m curious if anyone has any experience with them.
Does anyone out there have any experience with Air Charts for IFR flying? With all of the separate Jepp subscriptions (dual Garmins, flight planning updates, paper charts) it gets pretty pricey and Jepp doesn’t have any package pricing. It looks like you might be able to save a few bucks with Air Charts but I’m curious if anyone has any experience with them.
If you do a search of the Forum, including archives, you will find previous discussions of Charts.
I concur with Joe,
I use the IFR Air chart and once used to their system I find it easy. Even on a small Lancair (2 seater) cockpit, it is easy, I use stickies on a side of the page in order of departure at the top and destination at the bottom with all the rest in between, works great. Price is right and updates are easy. One caution, I learned that you have to close the book when done. If you don’t someone that is not familiar will see the page, grab it and rip the page off. It only happened once but it was a long rest of the year before the new one came out. Happy flying to all.
Have a great Cirrus day.
Woor
I use Air Charts and they have strong and weak points.
Strong:
- Very nice and useful bound chart books. No more awkward chart folding. The IFR charts are just like the NOS charts. The VFR charts are WAC, for the most part, with Sectional inserts for areas around class B & C airspace. Also included are IFR-like VFR charts that make VOR to VOR and GPS nav a snap.
- Less expensive than Jepps.
Weak:
- Some aspects of the system are designed, IMHO, to be more “legal” than useful. Although most of the info in the AFD can be found somewhere in the Air Chart pubs, it’s scattered all over the place and difficult to find in a hurry (at least for me).
- It takes some discipline to keep up with the changes, which you mostly enter manually. On the plus side, the changes are issued cumulatively (the most recent change includes all previous ones) and the changes are shown geographically, so you only need to check the area you’re going to fly through. But… you have to check and that takes some discipline.
- To save space the changes use some pretty cryptic abbreviations, and rely on sequence of entries to identify what each data element is, etc. Also freqs are often truncated – again to save space.
All-in-all I’m happy with the system, especially the bound chart books. They’re worth the price alone. Also, as long as you have the latest change notice with you, your charts are up-to-date for FAA purposes, even if those changes are not entered.
Joe Mazza
Does anyone out there have any experience with Air Charts for IFR flying? With all of the separate Jepp subscriptions (dual Garmins, flight planning updates, paper charts) it gets pretty pricey and Jepp doesn’t have any package pricing. It looks like you might be able to save a few bucks with Air Charts but I’m curious if anyone has any experience with them.