how to get NACO online charts conveniently?

It's great that the charts are now "free" online at http://www.naco.faa.gov/ but
it seems to take a lot of my personal time to figure out which charts I need.

I used to just carry the paper charts with the knowledge that if I had to
divert, I had all the charts for all nearby airports.

How do you use the free online charts and retain the convenience of not having
to painstakingly select and print individual charts?

Have I traded away the convenience in return for not having to pay, or is there
a better way?

Thanks,

Dave
Remove SHIRT to reply directly.

Dave Butler wrote:
I used to just carry the paper charts with the knowledge that if I had to
divert, I had all the charts for all nearby airports.

How do you use the free online charts and retain the convenience of not
having to painstakingly select and print individual charts?

I print charts for my destination and alternate(s). Especially for
alternates, I don't bother printing everything, just the approaches I
think I might actually use (i.e. the ILS).

I still carry an approach plate book, but just aren't fastidious about
keeping it up to date.

I have the luxury of flying behind a GPS which has a full approach
database. If I had to emergency divert to some place for which I don't
have a paper plate, I can fly the approach right out of the database.
About the only piece of information that's not in the database is the
MDA/DH. For emergency purposes, I can always ask the controller. If
I'm lost comm, I'll assume the DH on an ILS is 200 AGL.

I do admit that the process of finding and printing plates could be
easier, but that's a SMOP (Simple Matter Of Programming). I could see a
flight planner showing you which airports along your route meet criteria
you specify (runway length, approach type, services, etc) and give you
an easy way to tick off which plates you want, then taking the
individual PDFs and building a single composite PDF in booklet form that
you can print with a single command.

Dave Butler wrote:

How do you use the free online charts and retain the convenience of not having
to painstakingly select and print individual charts?

Have I traded away the convenience in return for not having to pay, or is there
a better way?

You broke the code.

You can subscribe to the NACO electronic charts on DVD from Sporty's. Still a
pretty good deal, then you have them all on your PC.

wrote:

You can subscribe to the NACO electronic charts on DVD from Sporty's.
Still a pretty good deal, then you have them all on your PC.


Hmm. What format, and are these both en route and approach?

[Of course, printing en route charts...]

I get a little apprehensive when I think about flying with a limited set of
charts (ie. only those for my destination, alternate, and starting point).
What if I need to put down IFR somewhere unexpected?

I also become appehensive when I consider relying upon an electronic DB of
charts. Power problems, MSFT Blue Screen of Death (or the equiv. for some
other OS), accidentally dropping the thing...

Others are obviously solving these concerns to their satisfaction. How?

- Andrew

wrote in message ...


Dave Butler wrote:

How do you use the free online charts and retain the convenience of not
having
to painstakingly select and print individual charts?

Have I traded away the convenience in return for not having to pay, or
is there
a better way?

You broke the code.

You can subscribe to the NACO electronic charts on DVD from Sporty's.
Still a
pretty good deal, then you have them all on your PC.

Or from MyAirplane.com (which is a couple bucks cheaper when you factor in
shipping).

Andrew Gideon wrote:

wrote:

You can subscribe to the NACO electronic charts on DVD from Sporty's.
Still a pretty good deal, then you have them all on your PC.

Hmm. What format, and are these both en route and approach?

[Of course, printing en route charts...]

You have to subscribe to the paper en route charts, also available from
Sporty's.



I get a little apprehensive when I think about flying with a limited set of
charts (ie. only those for my destination, alternate, and starting point).
What if I need to put down IFR somewhere unexpected?

I guess that depends upon how well you select the charts to print out before
you leave home.



I also become appehensive when I consider relying upon an electronic DB of
charts. Power problems, MSFT Blue Screen of Death (or the equiv. for some
other OS), accidentally dropping the thing...

Others are obviously solving these concerns to their satisfaction. How?

- Andrew

I can't speak for others, only myself. I always have my laptop with me, and I
have a clunky portable printer. But, I would only use the printer on the
ground. I guess I overprint charts to CMA. With a laser printer at home that
is no big deal.

Obviously, if you're flying serious IFR "all over the place" and "all the
time," then you either need reams of paper charts or a certified tablet PC
(read: expensive)

Roy Smith wrote:

I have the luxury of flying behind a GPS which has a full approach
database. If I had to emergency divert to some place for which I don't
have a paper plate, I can fly the approach right out of the database.
About the only piece of information that's not in the database is the
MDA/DH. For emergency purposes, I can always ask the controller. If
I'm lost comm, I'll assume the DH on an ILS is 200 AGL.


Your GPS has altitudes for all the segments and stepdown fixes on an approach?
What GPS is that?

On Fri, 11 Jun 2004 09:29:39 -0400, Dave Butler wrote:

It's great that the charts are now "free" online at http://www.naco.faa.gov/ but
it seems to take a lot of my personal time to figure out which charts I need.

I've looked and I do not see free downloadable charts there. I see some
TPP's and diagrams, but I do not for example see any charts you can
actually download. I see links where I can buy a DVD from them, but
that's all.

Do me a favor and paste a link to a chart so I can at least get in the
ballpark. I don't know how I'm overlooking it, other than the fact it's a
typical govt. site with nothing straightforwards.

"Matthew P. Cummings" wrote:

On Fri, 11 Jun 2004 09:29:39 -0400, Dave Butler wrote:

It's great that the charts are now "free" online at http://www.naco.faa.gov/ but
it seems to take a lot of my personal time to figure out which charts I need.

I've looked and I do not see free downloadable charts there. I see some
TPP's and diagrams, but I do not for example see any charts you can
actually download. I see links where I can buy a DVD from them, but
that's all.

Do me a favor and paste a link to a chart so I can at least get in the
ballpark. I don't know how I'm overlooking it, other than the fact it's a
typical govt. site with nothing straightforwards.

http://www.naco.faa.gov/index.asp?xml=naco/online/d_tpp

What's interesting about the NACO charts is the list of airports
for Colorado. Buckley AFB is listed and no one except military
is allowed to land there. People have called with emergencies and
told that Aurora airpark (about to close) is 4.5 nm away, and
FTG is 11 nm away.

And yet FTG (Front Range), allegedly a reliever for DEN and
only 7 nm from DEN, isn't on the list.

odd.