Foreflight vs Paper Charts

[rockydoc]

Does having a working  iPad with Foreflight and current aviation charts fulfill the requirement that FAA has to always have current charts on board for the area in which you are flying?

[Hector]

Yes, it is an approve source for charts. That being said, keep in mind all the different ways an electronic flight bag can fail. From dead batteries, to hardware problems, overheating, etc. if you are going to eliminate all paper (as I have), you may want to carry Foreflight in a second device in case something happens. I have Foreflight on both the iPad and my iPhone and although a rare event, I have had to switch to the iPhone once in the last couple of years. Your Foreflight subscription is good for two devices.

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[Hank]

There is no requirement for Part 91 to have any charts at all on board the aircraft . . . But it is certainly wise to carry them.

[rockydoc]

Yes, it is an approve source for charts. That being said, keep in mind all the different ways an electronic flight bag can fail. From dead batteries, to hardware problems, overheating, etc. if you are going to eliminate all paper (as I have), you may want to carry Foreflight in a second device in case something happens. I have Foreflight on both the iPad and my iPhone and although a rare event, I have had to switch to the iPhone once in the last couple of years. Your Foreflight subscription is good for two devices.

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Yes, I have 2 working iPads.  One for pilot and one for co-pilot.which are yoke mounts so I don't have a problem with overheating.  i also have 2 cigarette lighters with iPad charging devices--one for each iPad.  thank for the info.

[rockydoc]

There is no requirement for Part 91 to have any charts at all on board the aircraft . . . But it is certainly wise to carry them.

Well, how about that.  Live and learn.  Thanks for sharing.

[midlifeflyer]

There is no requirement for Part 91 to have any charts at all on board the aircraft . . . But it is certainly wise to carry them.

True. But if you have an airspace violation that would have been avoided by looking at a current chart, expect no mercy.

To answer the underlying question, the FAA is on record: an EFB is just fine. http://tinyurl.com/3pcug22

[PMcClure]

What are paper charts?

[Marauder]

What are paper charts?

Item to start the fire in your fireplace.

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[Hank]

What are paper charts?

 

My wife uses them for sun shades, and to direct air from her knee vent to my side of the plane. Myself, I use them for navigation, they are incredibly packed with relevant information. Everything you would ever want to know, except for weather, traffic, TFRs and active restricted areas [although the latter are marked, with instructions given to determine their status].

 

Now that I finally live within reach of high-speed internet, I am exploring the world of the EFB, but my paper charts never shut off, freeze up, stop working or require that I update before I open them . . . and I can continue to look at them years after they expire. So far, I've experienced all of these issues with EFBs, but none of them with paper, and just in the last couple of months [total of 3 long XCs and 4 local flights]. Is it bad luck, bad karma or just a bad idea???

[PMcClure]

I like maps. I have some framed on my wall from the old days. But beteeen the 430/530/iPad/atc/iPad mini and spare chargers, I think I have navigation covered. Once my door popped open in cruise and I lost all my charts and loose paper out the door. Good thing the iPad and avionics are screwed down. Now I use the iPad cover for a sunscreen.

[ArtVandelay]

Paper charts are great for planning, you get the big picture you just can't get with electronic charts. Do y'all just hunch over your iPads scrolling around to plan your routes?

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[midlifeflyer]

I'm not sure about hunch, but I stopped using paper charts for preflight planning before the iPad even existed. I'm not sure how the planning is any better or worse on the same chart just because the medium in which it's contained is different, although I personally find not having to flip something over and being able to expend and contract to plan a route a bit easier

[1964-M20E]

I have my I-fly 720 with all the charts and approaches loaded into it geo referenced etc.,  panel mounted GPS but I still keep a paper copy of charts and approaches in the plane and I cross reference my location with my NAV 2 VOR mainly to keep myself busy while Otto is flying the plane.  I guess I’m still hard wired.    I do like having the approaches in paper form at least for my departure, destination and alternate I feel they’re just easier to use and no batteries required and readable in all daylight conditions.

[carusoam]

You guys aren't fooling anyone....

You all memorized every VOR and it's details in your home state!

You recognize the changes to your favorite IAPs immediately, since you've known they were coming for months...

Whether you use paper or retina display as your reminder won't matter...

Or, is that just my perception of aviation addiction?

Best regards,

-a-

[ArtVandelay]

With me ipad I can see about 75nm, with a paper chart(s) laid on a table I can see 500nm, for myself, I can get the big picture easier. With longer x-country trips, > 400nm, it's nice to look at the big picture. I admit I prefer paper books as well.

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[Hank]

I've been known to piece together multiple sectionals on the kitchen floor . . . WV to AL was 607 miles in the car, 377 nm by Mooney. From the Cincinnati North to Atlanta South. WV to SnF added Jax sectional, too. Lots of fun! I keep yardsticks everywhere now, home, work, hangar, etc

[bd32322]

I am regressing back to paper for vfr flying in my neck of the woods. For IFR, I have all the georefrenced charts I can handle. For VFR, I am also pulling my garmin breaker and just using my kx155 radio.

A lot of the fun of flying from my student days has returned as a result (including getting lost). All this will be fine until I run into some pop up TFR of some sort.

[pinerunner]

While I've been looking into the possibility of getting an Android tablet with map software I decided to hold back for a while when I saw the price of recurring subscriptions. Charts work fine for me and help keep the cost down. I fly a lot in areas I know pretty well anyway. I use the  skyvector online website a LOT for preliminary planning or just planning trips I may not actually make.

[Mooneymite]

There is no requirement for Part 91 to have any charts at all on board the aircraft . . . But it is certainly wise to carry them.

Ha! Technically true until the FAA decides flying without a chart was "careless and reckless".

However, as long as you are "wreckless", the FAA doesn't much care. :-)

[Mooneymite]

While I've been looking into the possibility of getting an Android tablet with map software I decided to hold back for a while when I saw the price of recurring subscriptions. Charts work fine for me and help keep the cost down. I fly a lot in areas I know pretty well anyway. I use the skyvector online website a LOT for preliminary planning or just planning trips I may not actually make.

Fear not.

The flightplan.com Android app (app and data up-dates all completely free) works fine.

Between Flightplan.com on-line for flight planning and the app which works off-line, who needs anything else (except a trusty Garmin 430).

[midlifeflyer]

Ha! Technically true until the FAA decides flying without a chart was "careless and reckless".

 

 

Already happened. http://goo.gl/pgvWNj Busted the Boston Class B. Simple airspace violation. No mercy without current charts:

 

==============================

We agree with the law judge that this was egregious conduct for any pilot. Taking off without necessary familiarization and without proper charts into an obviously congested airspace such as the Boston area, and continuing the flight after failing to obtain a clearance obviously justified a finding of carelessness, at a minimum. Even an assumption that further FAA tapes would show that respondent made multiple attempts to reach ATC would not lessen the seriousness of his actions. 

============================== 

 

Doesn't even have to be careless and reckless. The 91.103 familiarization requirement takes care of it.

[Marauder]

Already happened. http://goo.gl/pgvWNj Busted the Boston Class B. Simple airspace violation. No mercy without current charts:

==============================

We agree with the law judge that this was egregious conduct for any pilot. Taking off without necessary familiarization and without proper charts into an obviously congested airspace such as the Boston area, and continuing the flight after failing to obtain a clearance obviously justified a finding of carelessness, at a minimum. Even an assumption that further FAA tapes would show that respondent made multiple attempts to reach ATC would not lessen the seriousness of his actions.

==============================

Doesn't even have to be careless and reckless. The 91.103 familiarization requirement takes care of it.

That was an interesting read. Unfortunately the pilot sounded like a moron as well. I am surrounded by the Philly Class B, Washington's stuff and numerous class D airports. You can be assured that before I became "paperless" I owned all of the charts I needed for my local area as well as where I was going. That is why I love the paperless stuff. No more running down to the local FBO for charts, calling Jepp up for Trip Paks or paying through the teeth for Sporty's automatic renewal service.

The obvious risk with paperless is the loss of the electronic device. For me, a second iPad is cheap insurance.

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[orionflt]

That was an interesting read. Unfortunately the pilot sounded like a moron as well. I am surrounded by the Philly Class B, Washington's stuff and numerous class D airports. You can be assured that before I became "paperless" I owned all of the charts I needed for my local area as well as where I was going. That is why I love the paperless stuff. No more running down to the local FBO for charts, calling Jepp up for Trip Paks or paying through the teeth for Sporty's automatic renewal service.

The obvious risk with paperless is the loss of the electronic device. For me, a second iPad is cheap insurance.

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our FBO stopped carrying chats several yrs ago, pretty much the only choice for paper charts in my area is to order them. might be able to get some from one of the larger flight schools in philly or allentown, but it is not worth the gas.

[Awqward]

I have had electronic charts on my iPad mini for some time but already used paper charts....until last weekend when I reached into my folder to pull out the charts for a non-radar approach with DME arc and realized I didn't have the chart....quickly pulled it up on the ipad.....think I'm converted!

[midlifeflyer]

The obvious risk with paperless is the loss of the electronic device. For me, a second iPad is cheap insurance.

 

 

I'm also a 2-tablet pilot. My "primary" is an iPad using ForeFlight; my backup is a 7" Android. I'm still deciding which app I like best. Since it's to be a backup, UI simplicity is primary (after, of course, stability). A few I like but need to try them on a cross country.