VFR Maps

[Guest BobD]

In the early days of aviation, navigation was accomplished by looking out the window and trying to identify some familiar object on the ground. As late as the early 1940s, maps were made available to military pilots that were almost completely void of the clutter of navigational aids. Mainly, because, except for an occasional ADF, there weren't any. The maps showed town, rivers, railroads, major roads, water towers and any thing of significance that might be spotted from the air. I am curious to know if there are any such maps available in the GA world today. Bob Dethlefsen490th Bomb.Sqdn 341st BGBurma Bridge Bustershttp://home.pacbell.net/bobeedee/Artist3.jpg

[Guest Lindy]

I don't mean to sound smart aleck or anything but wouldn't a good atlas show a lot of that information?-Lindy :-wave

[Guest BobD]

Yes, Lindy, a good bit of it would show. However, they are in book form, and in turn cluttered with things that would be insignificant from the air. I was thinking along the lines of the enroute charts that can be folded and unfolded as you go.Bob Dethlefsen490th Bomb.Sqdn 341st BGBurma Bridge Busters

[Guest paulri]

HI Bob,Pick up some sectionals. Sometimes you can get outdated ones from the local FBO when they replace them with new issues and throw the old ones away. OR, just buy some current ones from the FBO at your local airport. I am, of course speaking of the US. Not familiar where you would find this stuff in another country.I went through US Army Fixed Wing flight school in 59/60, we used sectionals for all our VFR XC training flights. Worked just fine. Have just about all the info you are looking for, as well as all the current navaids, like VORs. They are also used extensively today by pilots flying VFR.HTH,Paul

[Guest]

There are a number of VFR charts available for GA use today. The most detailed is called a TAC, or terminal area chart. These are avaible for only the most congested areas (Class B airspace). They show all prominant features that you could possibly use for navigation (Airports, towns, geography, navaids, railroads, roads, obstructions, you name it, it's probably on there) The next most detailed is called a sectional. These are available for all areas of the U.S. and I believe many other areas of the world as well. It is the same as a TAC except that the area of coverage is much greater and therefore less detailed. The last option is a WAC chart. These cover even larger areas than sectionals and are designed for higher altitude flights. Again, they are less detailed as the area of coverage is higher. For an example of a sectional, goto www.aeroplanner.com and you can view sectional charts for free. If you want to see the real thing go down to your local FBO and buy one (They're very cheap), or ask if they have any out of date ones that you can have. Hope this helps.-Rob

[Guest BobD]

Thanx Lindy, Paul and Rob. I will take a look at the suggested charts.Bob

[Guest Lizardo]

Here's a TAC chart of Boston. You can see that it indicates buildings, roads, etc. ("notable landmarks")

[Guest BobD]

I have located a website that offers the type of chart that I have been looking for. www.garciaaviation.com/maps.html. Unfortunately, it appears to be their choice as to what particular area you can buy. Personally, I am only interested in the West Coast. It is also clear to me why todays charts appear to be so "cluttered". Aside from the few ADFs and LF Ranges, there was very little to add. Airways, routes, control zones and sophisticated navigation aids were still to come. Thanks again to you fellows for your suggestions.Bob Dethlefsen