How To Read Charts

Charts

An aeronautical chart is a map designed to assist in the navigation of aircraft, much as nautical charts do for watercraft, or a roadmap does for drivers. 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.

Specific charts are used for each phase of a flight and may vary from a map of a particular airport facility to an overview of the instrument routes covering an entire continent (e.g., global navigation charts), and many types in between.

Visual flight charts are categorized according to their scale, which is proportional to the size of the area covered by one map. The amount of detail is necessarily reduced when larger areas are represented on a map.

• World aeronautical charts (WACs) have a scale of 1:1,000,000 and cover relatively large areas. Outside of WAC coverage, operational navigation charts (ONC) may be used. They use the same scale as WACs, but omit some useful information such as airspace restrictions.
• Sectional charts typically cover a total area of about 340x340 miles, printed on both sides of the map. The scale is 1:500,000.
• VFR terminal area charts are created with a scale and coverage appropriate for the general vicinity of a large airport (1:250,000). They may depict preferred VFR flight routes within areas of congested airspace.

Each Aerodrome has it´s own charts refering to specialized local procedures such as Taxing, Departing, Arriving and Approaching. According to the mentioned topics, Airport Charts can be devided into four to five catagories:

- Standard Terminal Arrival (STAR) Charts

- Approach (APP) Charts

- TAXI Charts

- Standard Instrument Departure (SID) Charts

- Reference (REF) Charts

CAUTION: DO ALLWAYS BRIEF YOURSELF BEFORE ENTERING AN AERODROMES SPHERE OF INFLUENCE.

Standard terminal Arrival (STAR) Charts

STAR Charts feature informations about multiple Arrival routes to an specific Aerodrome. Along with that, they contain informations about how the routes are to be flown and how the reader can perform the required actions. Arrivals in general lead the Pilots into the following approach. They also give hints about the enviroment and continious NOTAMS

Example Chart RAF Akrotiri

The given example is an arrival chart for RAF Akrotiri. It contains informations for the ANANE ALPHA, IREA ALPHA, and the MEZUS ALPHA Arrival. The name of an arrival route is about its first leg or in other words its entry leg.

Startet from the actual top, which in the example is the right side each chart has the Airports ICAO code its related to in its upper left corner, The day of publishment in the center and the full name and country in the upper right corner.

Below the first line of information from left to right the chart contains informations about the ATIS Frequency (ex. 125.0)

Followed by the Approach Frequency (ex. 123.6) and the frequencys of the sorrounding centers (ex. NICOSIA CONTROL WEST and EAST)

At last there is the Airport elevations MSL in ft. (ex. 75 ft. MSL)

The third line of informations features the continous NOTAMS for the Aerodrome and its local procedures. In the example there are six given informations about the Transition Altitude, the STARs beeing made for minimum noise production, all arrivals beeing under radar controle, that contact with AKROTIRI APPROACH ist to be made 50 NM prior, that a direct track approach to Akrotiri from the authoritie is quite possible and is to be expected and that the full information about the TACAN´s bearing may be only expierienced below 3500 ft due to terrain masking.

The main part of an arrival chart is usually made of a graphic showing the routes and the involved points, as the airports location, its TACAN and Locator frequency, Position and feather, aswell as their morse codes. (ex. TAC AKR 107x or 116.0; .- -.- .-.; at N34 35.0 E033 00.8) and (LOC DME IAK 109.7; .. .- -.-)

Each described waypoint features its radial and heading aswell as the distance DME

The left bottom corner box contains the exact routing and procedure informations for all mentioned arrivals

CAUTION: there may be differnt arrivals for differnt approach types and runway directions allways prebrief exactly for your route and intentions

Appraoch APP Charts

APP Charts in its self divide into differnt kinds regarding the approach type and runway direction. differntly to the STAR charts, APP charts only feature on Approach per document.

There are ILS, RNP and TACAN Approach Charts.

APP Charts contain informations about the approach route, limits, possible obstacales aswell as closer Aerodrome informations and the Missed Approach procedure

Example Chart Incirlik AB

ARR Chats also beginn with the Aerordromes ICAO Code and Name in the upper left corner, the date of publishment in the center and te Location and Country in the upper right corner along with its purpose (ex. ILS or LOC Rwy 05)

Below there is the box featuring from left to right, frequencys for the ATIS, Incirlic Approach anf Arival along with Tower and ground frequency

In another box below the previous one we can find informations regarding the runway directíon such as the locator frequency (ex. 109.3), the final apprach course (ex. 049°) an altitudinal limitation for a glideslope specific Leg (ex. GOMSE 2300 ft BARO (2131 ft Radio) followed by informations for the Descision Hight or Minimums aswell as the Airport elevation (ex. 232 ft MSL) and the threashold elevation (ex. 169 ft MSL)

The next box is about the missed apprach procedure (ex. Climb to 5000 ft. Baro via DAN TACAN Radial 049° to Tosie and hold as published)

Thereafter the informations about the altimeter and Transition Level are to be found

Followed by the least requirements needed for the described approach

As in the ARR Charts the largest part also here is made by an illustration featuring the exact route aswell as Informations about the mentioned Waypoints. Specific to APP Charts is the fact, that they also contain obstacle and geographical hight informations and if given a feather describing when the ILS Locator will be recived.

Below there is a cross section describing the glideslope as the altitudinal restrictions and minimas for the approach

further down there is a box with approach and missed approach conditions from left to right the approach speed table, the PAPI position graphic (ex left side from approach direction) followed by the missed apprach procedure, (ex. climb 5000 ft BARO via DAN TAC Radial 049° to TOSIE

below that from left to right the differnt decision hights for the differnt approach classes for a straight in landing, The locator decision hight, and the informations about the minimal visual ranges for the TACAN Arc only to be used Northwest of the example runway, aswell as the minimal visual ranges for the straight in approach.

CAUTION: Informations may differ due to differnt approach types

TAXI Charts

Taxi Charts can look different depending on the kind. A Taxi chart can be merged with an airport diagram, can only show a specific section of an Airport such as a big parking area with multiple spots and specialized operational procedures or can only show the restrictions of Taxiways for different Wingspans and weights. Taxi Charts are providing pilots with the neccessary infromations to conduct the ground ops as defined by the local authoroties.

Example Aerodrome Diagram Incirlik AB

Again started with the upper left corner informations about the Airports ICAO Code (ex. LTAG) the airport elevation (ex. 232 ft. MSL) aswell as the coordinates (ex. N37 00.1 E035 25.6) The center contains the date of publishment and the upper right corner has the regional location, the country and the Aerodrome´s name.

In the box underneath are the Informations about the relevant frequencys such as ATIS, Ground and Tower

The graphic below features the most important informations like Runway length (ex. 10.000 ft or 3.048 m) Threashold elevations and length of the overruns, Location of specialized areas such as for parking, arming or loading, locations of important buildings and structures and ofcourse the names of the different taxiways and runways

Further below, we find the aditional runwaay informations made by the location of the Precission Approach Path Indicators (PAPI) and Usable lengths for Landing aswell as the runway´s width (ex. 148 ft. or 45 m) We can also find informations about the runway´s pavement. (ex. grooved and NATO standart)

Followed by the Take-off and Departure Procedures, the next box proviedes pilots with informations regarding the mentioned topics. In the example, all runways have different visual departure procedures via a given Radial (Ex. RWY 05 R50 or RWY 23 R24) These ensure a secure departure by avoiding obstacles.

The next box is telling us about the departure procedure it self. In the example, all Runway use published deaparture procedures (SID´s) or radar vectors by ATC are to be expected.

If there is no given SID or Radar Vectors in place, the Example Airport deals with an Omnidirectional Departure described within the last box. In the example, the procedure was asspecially designed to show the minimum climb needed to avoid mountains located in the north (ex. between 265° clockwise to 22°)

Additionaly, procedures for both example runways are precisely described further below.

The last stack of informations is about the Take-off Obstacles that may occure during take-off

CAUTION: Ofcourse, procedures denpend on airport, geo position and country aswell as on the leading and owning Nation.

Standard Instrument Departure (SID) Charts

Standard Instrument Departure (SID) Charts are the oposite side of APP Charts. They contain the same kind of informations as those for the Approach. Similar to the STAR Charts, SID Charts can feature informations for multiple departure Routes at one aheet.

As for the STARs, the name of a SID is also about the Waypoint they lead to. It follows, that there are differnt SIDs for different directions of Departure aswell as for Runways and their counter headings.

SID Charts contain informations about the departure route, limits, possible obstacales aswell as closer Aerodrome informations.

Example SID Chart Nellis AFB

As allways started from the upper left corner, we find the Aerodromes ICAO and its city and location. The center is giving us the date of publishment while the upper right corner has the full name of the Airport.

Below the previous informations, the next box provides informations about the Departure Frequencys (ex. 350.225), the Airport´s elevation (ex. 1869 ft. MSL) and informations about the Transition altitude, aswell as Requirements and advisory.

Further towards the bottom of the sheet, within the next bordered structure, the name of the SID and it´s purpose is written. (ex. MORMON MESA 8 DEPARTURE for all Runways)

As usual for charts, the main part is covered by a graphic showing the pilots the exact route of the SID aswell as limits regarding altitude and radials, Tacan and Beacon inforamtions and a couloured scheme of the sourrounding geography.

The next box features the Take-off obstacle notes, Take off minimums and the minimum climb rates for each runway.

Continued with the next box, it contains the inforamtions about the initial climb it self for all runways, providing the pilots with the what to do. (ex. from RWY 3L Fly Runway Heading to intercept LSV TACAN R028 then direct CUVAX, intercept MMM VORTAC R217 then direct MMM VORTAC.) As to be guessed by the name it also features the altitudes for the initial climb. (ex for Jets: FL230; For Props: 13000 ft.)

The last box is about routing or in other words the "What to do after completing the SID". In the example chart, Jets maintain FL230 or requested Level, while Maintain 13000 ft. Thereafter follow the assigned and filed route. The filed altitude can be expected 10 Minutes after departure.

CAUTION: Departure Data can change regarding different SID´s and Airports.

Reference Charts

Reference charts are mainly used within VFR flying. They provide pilots with pictures of the aerodrome from different directions of approach for them to be able to identify it properly. They can also contain valuable informations about special local procedures and circumstances like typical weather, airspace anomalys or alignment of the glide path. Therfore they can look very different from each other.

Example Reference Berlin Brandenburg Airport

Example Reference Nellis AFB

Additional Information

Unfortunately, the appearence of charts is not standardized wordwide, which leads to differnt appearence of charts per Airport, location and country. But each chart needs to contain a minimum of information selected by ICAO.

Even though a Chart for ex. an Approach may look different than one from another Aerodrome, it still works the same way.

"R" means Radial

"D" means DME

"V" means Vector or Visual

Definition of occuring symbols