Could someone please take a minute and explain to me where/how I get airport maps so I can see taxiways, etc? I want to learn to follow instructions given by ATC but I don't know where to get the airport maps so I can look them up.

Thanks

Depends on where you are, or how much you like to invest. If you fly mostly in US and Canada, Skyvector has all you need. If you fly somewhere else, it is hit and miss. For some countries you can find charts, for others not. A reliable resource is Navigraph.com, and their charts contain a lot more than Skyvector. However, they require a subscription.

If you want FREE >> https://skyvector.com/>>> 

If you want some of the best and spend some $$ >>> https://www.simbrief.com/home/  (part of NAVIGRAPH)

Edited August 2, 20232 yr by vcarlo

6 minutes ago, Rob G said:

Could someone please take a minute and explain to me where/how I get airport maps so I can see taxiways, etc? I want to learn to follow instructions given by ATC but I don't know where to get the airport maps so I can look them up.

Thanks

You can also use Little Navmap. Just zoom in on the airport and it will show the taxiways. and it's free.

You can download a full set of current US terminal procedures (which includes airport diagrams for all airports with operational published IFR procedures) for free at: FAA Digital Terminal Procedures

27 minutes ago, qqwertzde said:

If you fly mostly in US and Canada, Skyvector has all you need

Skyvector doesn't have Canadian charts available as far as I know. I would love to be incorrect about this, but I've been using Skyvector for years and have noticed they don't have any kind of charts for Canada. 

Depends how often you fly if the investment is worth it, but I find Navigraph is worth whatever they charge. I have the app on a tablet and my phone and it’s super handy. Also shows you your location on the charts, eg terminal, SID, STAR, en route etc. 

Edited August 2, 20232 yr by mikethe6th

1 hour ago, Bdub22 said:

Skyvector doesn't have Canadian charts available as far as I know. I would love to be incorrect about this, but I've been using Skyvector for years and have noticed they don't have any kind of charts for Canada. 

Thanks for correcting me, Bdub22. You are right, Skyvector does not have airport charts, only some sectional charts close to the US border. However, https://www.fltplan.com/ does have Canadian airport charts. I got that confused.

Chartfox  has a lot of charts.  It is free with a subscription to Vatsim, also free.

If the chart is not available on chartfox itself, it will often link you directly to the relevant national aeronautical admin site where the charts are available.

I have now essentially switched over to Airmate for chart viewing.

https://fly.airmate.aero/

The maps are good, and they have worldwide coverage of charts. They are always the free ones that each country provides, but they are all linked to each airport on the map.

Navigraph uses Jeppessen charts for worldwide coverage, but it's not free. As I am mostly a GA flyer who likes to do GPS approaches and such, Airmate does the trick for zero dollars..

They have a great iPad app which I use while flying so you can look at charts/maps. You can even configure it to be used as a moving map, as it will use Flightsim data instead of GPS data with the correct connector. There are both pay (xmapsy) and free (fs2ff) solutions to connect Airmate to MSFS. fs2ff says it is for fore flight, but it works just fine with Airmate too. It is what I use because I am cheap. 😉

@Rob G Take a look at www.chartfox.org. It is free.

 

8 hours ago, Rob G said:

where/how I get airport maps so I can see taxiways,

 

8 hours ago, Alvega said:

You can also use Little Navmap.

LNM is showing you what is installed in your sim ......... airport data is notoriously "out of date / incorrect etc.", so any charts from others may well mismatch what you see.

in the air, it is less of any issue.

8 hours ago, Rob G said:

Could someone please take a minute and explain to me where/how I get airport maps so I can see taxiways, etc? I want to learn to follow instructions given by ATC but I don't know where to get the airport maps so I can look them up.

Thanks

The easiest  is to open the VFR map in the sim (V key) and zoom in. You clearly the runway and taxiways 😉. Coarse but it helps to find one’s way in smaller airports with no chart.

You also have an assist that you can toggle on and off which shows directional  arrows.

9 hours ago, Rob G said:

where/how I get airport maps so I can see taxiways, etc?

There is a one valuable payware that I have been using for years since FSX, P3D and now MSFS: Aivlasoft EFB. If you want an updated database you will need a Navigraph subscription (25 $/year if I remember correctly), you can also use it with a one time navdata update and live with that.

The EFB will give you all what you need in terms of airport information, navigation and approach charts, it's a one time investment that you won't regret.

15 minutes ago, Bernard Ducret said:

There is a one valuable payware that I have been using for years since FSX, P3D and now MSFS: Aivlasoft EFB. If you want an updated database you will need a Navigraph subscription (25 $/year if I remember correctly), you can also use it with a one time navdata update and live with that.

The EFB will give you all what you need in terms of airport information, navigation and approach charts, it's a one time investment that you won't regret.

What does it bring, Bernard, that you don't have in LNM (a genuine question, nothing argumentative) ?

The Aivlasoft also uses FSUIPC, if not mistaken, which is a good product but adds another layer of potential problems in  a sim which, politely said, doesn't need it