MetroAir Virtual Airlines MAPS AND CHARTS V 1.0 NOT FOR REAL WORLD AVIATION
2 P a g e GETTING STARTED Much like a road maps for driving in a car, aeronautical maps and charts are designed to assist pilots with safe navigation in the skies. By using these charts and other tools, pilots are able to determine their position, safe altitude, best route to a destination, navigation aids along the way, alternative landing areas in case of an in-flight emergency, and other useful information such as radio frequencies and airspace boundaries. There are charts for all land masses on Earth, and long-distance charts for trans-oceanic travel. In this section we will discuss the different type of maps and charts available for the different types of flying, as well as different phases of flying such as departure, enroute and arrival.
AIRPORT DIAGRAMS 3 P a g e Airport diagrams are specifically designed to assist pilots while maneuvering on the ground. The diagram indicates the runway and taxiway configuration, airport elevation, displaced threshold (if applicable), and layout of lighting and other facilities on the airport. Other important information depicted on the chart is radio frequencies for ATIS, Tower, Ground and Clearance for the chosen airport.
VFR SECTIONALS 4 P a g e In United States aviation, a VFR Sectional chart, often called sectional for short, is a type of aeronautical chart designed for navigation under visual flight rules. A sectional chart provides detailed information on topographical features that are important to aviators, such as terrain elevations, ground features identifiable from altitude (rivers, dams, bridges, buildings, etc.), and ground features useful to pilots (airports, beacons, landmarks, etc.). The chart also provides information on airspace classes, ground-based navigation aids, radio frequencies, longitude and latitude, navigation waypoints, navigation routes. Sectional charts are in 1:500,000 scale and are named for a major city within their area of coverage. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States provides a series of over 50 charts covering the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. Sectional charts are published by the National Aeronautical Navigation Services Group of the FAA.
LO/HIGH ENROUTE CHARTS 5 P a g e In aviation, an en-route chart is an aeronautical chart that guides pilots flying under Instrument Flight Rules during the en-route phase of flight. En-route (or Enroute) charts provide detailed information useful for instrument flight, including information on radio navigation aids (navaids) such as VORs and NDBs, navigational fixes (waypoints and intersections), standard airways, airport locations, minimum altitudes, and so on. Information not directly relevant to instrument navigation, such as visual landmarks and terrain features, are not included. Enroute charts are divided into high and low versions, with information on airways and navaids for high- and low-altitude flight, respectively. The division between low altitude and high altitude is usually defined as the altitude that marks transition to flight levels (in the United States, this is taken to be 18,000 feet MSL by convention). Lo Enroute Chart High Enroute Chart
TERMINAL AREA CHARTS 6 P a g e In United States and Canadian aviation, Terminal area charts are aeronautical charts intended for navigation under Visual Flight Rules that depict areas surrounding major airports, primarily those with Class B airspace. Like the VFR sectional charts that they complement, terminal area charts depict topographic features and other information of interest to aviators flying visually, including major landmarks, terrain elevations, visual navigation routes, ground-based navigation aids, airports, rivers, cities, and airspace boundaries. TACs are more detailed than sectional charts, and are scaled at 1:250,000 (as opposed to 1:500,000 for sectional charts) to permit inclusion of more detail. TACs contain information on approach, departure, and transition rules and procedures for the congested Class B areas around major airports. TACs are updated at six-month intervals.
IAPS INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURES 7 P a g e Instrument Approach Procedures (IAP) charts portray the aeronautical data which is required to execute an instrument approach to an airport. These charts depict the procedures, including all related data, and the airport diagram. Each procedure is designated for use with a specific type of electronic navigation system including NDB, TACAN, VOR, ILS/MLS, and RNAV. These charts are identified by the type of navigational aid(s) which provide final approach guidance. Included data on this type of chart includes approach course, missed approach procedures, radio frequencies used at the airport, airport elevation among many, many other things.
DPS DEPARTURE PROCEDURES ( SID OR STANDARD INSTRUMENT PROCEDURE) 8 P a g e A Departure Procedure (DP) (also known as a Standard Instrument Departure (SID)) is a published procedure followed by aircraft on an IFR flight plan just after departing an airport. DPs start at the DER (Departure End of Runway) and leads along waypoints (VOR, NDB, DME) on defined flight levels. The end of a SID is reached when the aircraft is leaving the surveyed airspace of the departed airport's ATC. The DP/SID system exists to ensure secure passing of obstacles along the flight path. Defining a DP/SID relies mainly on noise-avoiding and security aspects and can reflect noise-avoiding at different times of day above cities or secure passing along important installations (military, private, public, governmental, etc.) In busier airspaces, these procedures are used to increase efficiency and safety while decreasing workload on pilots and controllers. This is accomplished by providing as much information as possible to the pilot on the chart to reduce the number of instructions that an ATC will have to give. For ATCs it makes traffic management much simpler as aircraft are flying on more predictable routes.
STARS STANDARD TERMINAL ARRIVAL ROUTES 9 P a g e A Standard Terminal Arrival Route (STAR) is a published procedure followed by aircraft on an IFR flight plan just before reaching a destination airport. A STAR usually covers the phase of a flight that lies between the top of descent from cruise or en-route flight and the final approach to a runway for landing. STARS include information such as waypoints along a path based on your arrival runway. They also include specific information on speed and altitude limits that pilots can expect to cross waypoints at along the route. In busier airspaces, these routes are used to increase efficiency and safety while decreasing workload on pilots and controllers. This is accomplished by providing as much information as possible to the pilot on the chart to reduce the number of instructions that an ATC will have to give. For ATCs it makes traffic management much simpler as aircraft are flying on more predictable routes.
10 P a g e WHERE TO FIND CHARTS ONLINE There are more than a few places online where you can obtain current aeronautical charts. Below is only a small list of what s available: VATSim Chart Center: http://charts.vatsim.net Charts from around the world. VATSIM Chartfinder tool: http://chartfinder.vatsim.net Chartfinder greatly simplifies location of current charts in North America, the UK, Australia, and Canada. The Canadian charts are incomplete and out-of date. Airnav.com: http://www.airnav.com Real-world Charts and airport information. SkyVector: http://skyvector.com All types of charts for the U.S.A. and Alaska. MetroAir Virtual: http://www.metroairvirtual.com/schedule.php Did you know that you can always grab charts from inside the bid page of a MetroAir flight? At the bottom of every bid page there is a section called Planning Resources. You can find charts relevant to your departure and arrival airports in this section! After searching for a flight, select the desired flight and you will see a screen like below. Notice the section at the bottom circled in red. If you were to click on KMCI Departure Charts for example you would have links for the Airport Diagram as well as all Departure Procedures for KMCI. If you were to click on KIAH Arrival Charts you would see links to the Airport Diagram and all Arrival charts and procedures for KIAH.