IFR Charts/Approach Plates ?

[74657]

I will be starting my instrument training next month and want to get my ducks in a row for the charts/plates I will need to have.  Are electronic versions of the charts and approach plates a legal substitution for paper Jep or Gov't charts?  If so, which option is the best way of displaying the information (Ipad etc.)?

I think that the purchase of an IPAD and subscription for all charts would pay itself off in less than 1 year of subscribing for Jepp Charts.

Thanks

[jasong]

Yes, to the best of my knowledge electronic charts are legal if they are kept up to date.

However I personally would never fly without paper charts sitting within arms reach of my iPad.  I mount the iPad on the yoke and pull the charts out of my bag and place them on the co-pilot seat or in between the pilot and co-pilot.  What happens if you run out of battery, the device falls and is damaged or you exceed the devices operating limites (above 10k for the iPad and some laptops for example).

The other way you can cut down costs is to print your own approach plates from the NACO site.  That way you don't need to have tons of binders of plates for the airports you might possibly need.  I just get the VFR/IFR maps for a couple areas around my home base and print everything else out.

Jason

[ELT]

I also use an iPad mounted on the co-pilot yoke.  As a back up to device failureI carry outdated enroute charts and outdated or self printed approach plates.  I usually note significant changes on the outdated charts when doing preflight planning.  I also only fly "light IFR"

Eddie

[Hank]

I keep sectionals and enroutes, but only get out the en routes when flying on an IFR flight plan. Since getting my rating last spring, I've made several trips, all with significant amounts of either VMC or above the layer. It's nice to know what's around below the clouds.

The approach plate book lives on the floor below the throttle, turned sideways. It's a nice fit there. For training flights, since I live at the intersection of three books, I would stack them in order of use, or put the first one there and put the others between the seats. I'm based in Ohio [OH/PA], literally 4 miles from Huntington, WV [WV/VA] and 12 miles from Ashland, KY [KY/TN], so a round-robin flight can easily hit three or four airports in three states, in three books, in 1½ hours. Fun, fun, fun!!

Plates can be downloaded from www.nacomatic.com, which I believe is back up and running after the genius at Flight Prep shut him down alleging infringement on their patent of the idea of doing flight planning over the internet. If you configure your printer correctly, you can print two plates on a sheet of paper, fold it in half, and clip it to your yoke. This works well for your destination, but not for diversions and other instructor-conceived madness. For those, you'll need post-its to mark your airport in the book, and a fat binder clip to keep it open in your lap.

Good luck with your training! Passing that checkride makes flying much more interesting, and your airplane much more useful!

[pilot716]

I just re-upped my Jepp subscription. I use forefligtht on the IPAD, it is a great program, I have it on a yoke mount..BUT, at 11000' last week the IPAD shut down,  not that i am doing any approaches at 11k, but what if it did not come back on when I decended below 8500'? I usually have my home and a few other close airports on paper back up, but I love the IPAD and foreflight but do not believe I can trust it at this point. It is not a real EFB like the 696 or those notebook types, so beware.

[TLSDriver]

I just re-upped my Jepp subscription. I use forefligtht on the IPAD, it is a great program, I have it on a yoke mount..BUT, at 11000' last week the IPAD shut down.

 

I am wondering if that was isolated incident.  Although Apple has said don't expect it to work over 10,000 feet it should work just fine at any altitude as long as it doesn't overheat.

I know of two mooney drivers that are often in the flight levels and never had a shut down.

 

 

 

 

[pilot716]

I know of some pilots also that have been at altitude with no problem so go figure....may have overheated also from being in the plastic holder on the yoke, I usually shut it down a lot in cruise, I don't need to follow the plane on the moving map, I have a G430. Just don't think I could bet my life on its low IFR..

[jasong]

Quote: ELT

I also use an iPad mounted on the co-pilot yoke.  As a back up to device failureI carry outdated enroute charts and outdated or self printed approach plates.  I usually note significant changes on the outdated charts when doing preflight planning.  I also only fly "light IFR"

Eddie

[jsimmons619]

I'd just like to chime in and state that I am also a very satisfied ForeFlight user on my iPad for IFR and VFR charts and approach plates.  I have had no problems with the iPad including a flight with over 2 hours at 15,000 feet (and about 20 minutes at 16,000').  I'd also add that I clip my iPad to my existing kneeboard and it works great (GPS reception).

Keep in mind that this is a charting system.  You'll be flying the actual approaches with your aircrafts hardware.

Happy IFR training.  I'm sure you'll find it challenging and rewarding.

[carusoam]

"I think you can still get busted for carrying any outdated chart in your plane"  JasonG

Is that not an OWT.....?

That was true when I started flying, but I think the outdated chart (by a day) is still better than throwing the chart out and going without.  I am pretty sure that the FAA put reason over regulation on this one years ago.  I can't put my finger on it though....

I have had my Ipad at 12,000 ft.  No issues.

Best regards,

-a-

[KLRDMD]

Quote: jasong

[mjc]

Quote: jasong

I think you can still get busted for carrying any outdated chart in your plane, even if you have another updated copy in electronic form there as well.

[MooneyMitch]

An exception to the out dated charts issue...............Special Flight Rules area, such as around and over Los Angeles Airport, you must carry a current Terminal Area Chart. [VFR]

[jasong]

Quote: mjc

Not true.

See the FAA webiste:

http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/faq/#q2f

In essence, if you carry both outdated and currect charts, try to make sure you use the current one and not the outdated one, just in case something changed. If you carry only outdated charts, make sure you are aware of any changes in the newer version.