Durachart to close shop

TangoEchoAlpha

TangoEchoAlpha

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Here's what the March 2016 newsletter says.

As of March 21st, DuraCharts will stop producing new charts due to low sales. We will continue to sell the existing charts that we have in inventory on our websites. If you have purchased a "Next Edition" chart, you will receive a refund to either your credit card or a check will be sent to you.

We are sorry that this has happened, but we have come to the end of a feasible business to sell paper charts. If you have any questions about your account, you can email john@duracharts.com or call John Parlett at (706) 993-9741.

Note: All accounts will be deleted, including contact and credit card information once the business is shutdown.

The charts are quite nice but this is inevitable. Why pay for new print charts when various iPad or Android apps can get them for free as they are released? Good idea to have backup paper sectionals of course.
 
I bought some charts from them for our youth to use in ground school.
 
Loved the product. I just sent John my thanks and good wishes.

At least what *may* well be my last printed sectional is a DuraChart ... Should outlive me and my heirs as a memento.
 
Those are the ones printed on Tryvek ?
 
Never heard of them. Wish I had, as the CFI discount would have been nice.
 
I like them a lot in an open aircraft.
They hold up well to abuse.
The last several times I ordered charts from Aircraft Spruce they were out of the DuraCharts and I had to use a substitute.
I will miss them.
 
Great charts. I bought three scripts from them and was looking forward to a bos tca. Guess that's not going to happen. Damn. I've always use paper.
 
They are great charts for training because of their durability but it's easy to see that any substantial market is pretty much over.
TangoEchoAlpha said:
Good idea to have backup paper sectionals of course.
Click to expand...
One's person's "good idea...of course" is another person's "why bother?" I haven't had a paper chart in the cockpit (unless it was someone else's) for about 4 years.
 
Yeah, even when I was a paper chart user I couldn't see what the point of these were. If you chewed up a paper shart or you scribbled all over it or what, if it didn't last six months, just get another.

I stick with FF now. Never have to worry that I don't have up to date ones or whether the FBO in Virginia has a Green Bay sectional, etc...
 
Sad to see them go, I always went with Dura-Chart when I needed a chart. It's a tough business, electronics are taking over too.
 
flyingron said:
Yeah, even when I was a paper chart user I couldn't see what the point of these were. If you chewed up a paper shart or you scribbled all over it or what, if it didn't last six months, just get another.

I stick with FF now. Never have to worry that I don't have up to date ones or whether the FBO in Virginia has a Green Bay sectional, etc...
Click to expand...

I always liked them becuse their colors popped a little more and they took more folding before they started to crap out.
 
Electronics are just fine... until they stop working, or you cannot get a GPS signal, or the plane is bouncing around, or the sub glare is too much. The other is the cost. A paper charts is/was $12, twice a year. You don't need a $200 tablet to display it. And since most tablets you cannot replace the batteries, you need a backup power source. With the paper chart, I just clip it to my kneeboard. Stable, always ready, and easy to use. No auto off, no dimming, no locking at the worst possible time.
Any good alternatives? I recall Dare County Airport stocked a non-faa sectional, even back when the faa ones were available. Anyone know who they were from?
 
Their charts didn't tear as easily, they were easier to read, and some of the spacing was just more intuitive. I liked them, especially since they cost the same as an FAA published chart, but I also have gone largely electronic.
 
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