Long X/C and Charts

[robsingles]

I just recently took a trip from Florida to Pennsylvania. I stopped in South Carolina for fuel and made a side trip to NYC/NJ while I was up that way. I had purchased every enroute chart. approach plate, sectional, & AFD for every state I could possibly fly over. All said and done I only used a hand full of the purchased charts. I am curious what other members do for long cross countries? Do you buy every chart as I did? Do you only get those for your planned stops? If you are making an IFR flight do you buy the sectionals for the route as well?

Just Curious,

 

[Pilawt]

I hear you, brother.

I flew a fifteen-state, 4,000-mile round-robin trip last Labor Day weekend. I spent over a hundred bucks on WAC, enroute and terminal area charts, approach plates and airport/facility directories. My trip just happened to begin on the first day of the chart cycle, so I had to order them expedited from Sporty's -- at substantial extra cost, of course.

The weather turned out to be severe clear all the way, so all I used were the WACs, one TAC and one page of each of the A/FD's. I now have an expensive box of slightly-used, but now mostly out-of-date aeronautical charts. Maybe I can recover some of the cost by using them for Christmas wrapping paper ... or is that not an FAA-approved use of them?

Had the weather been otherwise, or if a diversion to another airport been necessary, I would have been most grateful to have them all aboard.

-- Pilawt

 

[TeenDoc]

I hear you, brother.

Had the weather been otherwise, or if a diversion to another airport been necessary, I would have been most grateful to have them all aboard.

-- Pilawt

I'm 100% with you on this one. What's $100.00? Less than 30 gal. of 100LL at today's prices, 3 hrs. of flight time in my C172SP. The peace of mind is worth more than that. Isn't it?

 

[DoubleD]

I travel with the full NACO IFR low altitude charts and approach plates for the planned route and adjacent areas if diversion is at all likely (e.g., for summertime thunderstorms). I don't carry A/FD's because the approach plates have most of the critical information. Most of what's not on the approach plates is in the AOPA Airport Directory, which I always have on board.

VFR charts? Only in the mountains. I do carry VFR Terminal charts when in the vicinity of Class B.

 

[EdFred]

I did a 19 state 4500 nm trip in July. I bought the AFDs and sectionals. 18 sectionals I think. (everyone west of the Miss except El Paso, and then a few east of the Miss)

I am instrument rated, but bought none of the approach plates. I air filed over Texas somewhere to get below a broken layer at OKC/Norman.

 

[poadeleted20]

I buy 'em all. I'd just hate to have a serious problem arise and find I don't have the approach chart for the nearest suitable airport. Lotta paper to purchase on the trip to California and back this summer, but peace of mind is worth it.

 

[gismo]

I hear you, brother.

I flew a fifteen-state, 4,000-mile round-robin trip last Labor Day weekend. I spent over a hundred bucks on WAC, enroute and terminal area charts, approach plates and airport/facility directories. My trip just happened to begin on the first day of the chart cycle, so I had to order them expedited from Sporty's -- at substantial extra cost, of course.

The weather turned out to be severe clear all the way, so all I used were the WACs, one TAC and one page of each of the A/FD's. I now have an expensive box of slightly-used, but now mostly out-of-date aeronautical charts. Maybe I can recover some of the cost by using them for Christmas wrapping paper ... or is that not an FAA-approved use of them?

Had the weather been otherwise, or if a diversion to another airport been necessary, I would have been most grateful to have them all aboard.

-- Pilawt

www.airchart.com

The only thing they don't have covered is the AFD.

 

[Dave Siciliano]

www.airchart.com

The only thing they don't have covered is the AFD.

Have to admit, I don't carry everyting I should on cross country trips: I head to CA; Wisconsin, Norfolk and Orlando from Dallas. Go to one or the other each month. I do either have up-to-date low altitude enroute charts or High altitude enroute charts depending on what I'm flying. Do have approach proceedures but all the books may not be current; I update individual key airports with an ILS enroute. Carry the AOPA guide rather than purchase each A/FD. Also, print the current info off AirNav which has the facilities info.

No matter what you carry, unless it's all North America, you can go off the charts. I was forced about 400 miles west for weather enroute on one trip which took me off the left edge of the low altitude charts I was carrying and away from any termal chart I was carrying. Approach understood the unanticipated deviation and provided critical info. Only time since I began flying in 1971 that I've asked for that kind of assistance. On my plane, I do have current IFR enroute and approach data bases which provide a lot of essential info.

I've been waiting for a reasonable electronic chart system. My laptop may not function above 10,000 feet and I've not been willing to upgrade. Maybe it's time.

Dave

 

[Paul Allen]

I buy 'em all. I'd just hate to have a serious problem arise and find I don't have the approach chart for the nearest suitable airport. Lotta paper to purchase on the trip to California and back this summer, but peace of mind is worth it.

I buy them all. I have even bought $50 - $60 worth of charts and AFD's for a trip I wanted to take and didn't. 56 days later I buy them again because the trip is on again. It gets expensive, but I look at as insurance. I also want to be 100% legal for every trip I take. I'm glad my wife has no idea what I spend on paper that becomes worthless.