As the US charts are now free, do you think someone will package up the entire US chart database and make it available for us to keep as a copy? I realize this goes out of date quickly but we will at least be good for a year or two at most airports.Mark.

As the US charts are now free, do you think someone will package up the entire US chart database and make it available for us to keep as a copy? I realize this goes out of date quickly but we will at least be good for a year or two at most airports.

Personally I think that when this does happen, there will still be organizations/websites which will purchase the data and make it available for free on the web. Sites like airnav, skyvector, etc will likely remain in existence relying on advertising to keep the site up. I'm sure AOPA will definitely keep charts available on their site for members as well. Also, I'm sure that there will be people who do buy the digital charts on a regular basis and will make them available to others. If places like airnav & skyvector do go away, I for one will most definitely make any chart available to my students as I'll be buying an "electronic subscription".I don't think the "free access" is going to completely go away. It's just the current model on how we (aviation community) access them is going to shift significantly, and nobody has any idea what it's going to look like in the end.

As an update, I jest received an email from Aeronav and she told me that the Dec. 13 meeting is for Aeronav to propose some draft proposals and pricing schemes to the distributors and that NO FINAL DECISIONS will be made at the meeting. I have been promised the minutes of the meeting since I am not able to attend in person.

As the US charts are now free, do you think someone will package up the entire US chart database and make it available for us to keep as a copy? I realize this goes out of date quickly but we will at least be good for a year or two at most airports.Mark.

The FAA's view is:

All products published by the FAA are public domain and not copyright protected. While it is legal to reproduce and publish official FAA charts, you may not under any circumstance show the FAA logo or any other FAA endorsement of any sort anywhere on your product. The FAA cannot endorse a private industry product or service. Since all of our products are date sensitive, we strongly recommend that you seek legal advice and stipulate that these charts are not to be used for actual flight navigation in the event that someone decides to use a non-FAA reproduced publication for that purpose.

http://www.faa.gov/a...eronav/faq/#q2j.

There is no way that AOPA will let this pass.

Let what pass?

Allowing Aeronav to charge for charts. They have been fighting user fees forever and so far they have won a vast majority of these fights. I have a feeling this will be one as well.I feel there should be a login for the system to keep the server loads lower. http://www.aopa.org/aircraft/articles/2011/111115faa-industry-to-meet-about-digital-chart-costs.html

The FAA already charges for printed charts. Why shouldn't it charge for all charts?

That is because you are paying the GPO not the FAA

That is because you are paying the GPO not the FAA

Paying the GPO for what? FAA can charge the costs of data base management and processing, compilation, printing or other types of reproduction, and dissemination.From your link AOPA doesn't seem to be concerned about the principle of charging, only that ther prices should be reasonable. It acknowledges that Congress has given FAA the right to charge.

True, but in the original FAA funding it is supposed to be payed by the taxes collected from users. FAA funding hasn't been aligned to current costs because the government can't vote on a proper funding bill. Hopefully the bill will be worked out after the elections (not holding my breath) or they move to a private company, as they have done with some ATC towers and Flight Service Stations to keep the user fees out of it.

As AOPA says, "Congress has given the FAA authority to charge for its products in order to recoup investment costs associated with producing and distributing the materials. The agency has long charged for its paper products." It's surely inevitable with the "explosive growth" in the use digital charts that charges will be introduced in the interests of fairness to all buyers.

So why don't they charge for the books, supplements and NOTAMS? Those are all disseminated the same way.

So why don't they charge for the books, supplements and NOTAMS? Those are all disseminated the same way.

Tou should ask the FAA that - not me. Perhaps it's because they're not legally entitled to?

The authority to charge for charts (i.e., not everything FAA might publish) is granted by a law known as "Air 21" or P.L. 106-181. Title VI of that act provided for the transfer of aeronautical charting responsibility from one agency (NOAA) to another (FAA). It's interesting that I haven't head of a like proposal to limit distribution/charge for digital nautical charts (ENC and RNC).scott s..