MetroAir Virtual Airlines

MAPS AND CHARTS V 1.0

NOT FOR REAL WORLD AVIATION

MetroAir Maps and Charts Guide 2 | P a g e

GETTING STARTED

Much like a road maps for driving in a car, aeronautical maps and charts are designed to assist pilots with safe navigation in the

skies. By 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.

In this section we will discuss the different type of maps and charts available for the different types of flying, as well as different

phases of flying such as departure, enroute and arrival.

MetroAir Maps and Charts Guide 3 | P a g e

AIRPORT DIAGRAMS

Airport diagrams are specifically designed to assist pilots while maneuvering on the ground. The diagram indicates the runway and

taxiway configuration, airport elevation, displaced threshold (if applicable), and layout of lighting and other facilities on the airport.

Other important information depicted on the chart is radio frequencies for ATIS, Tower, Ground and Clearance for the chosen

airport.

MetroAir Maps and Charts Guide 4 | P a g e

VFR SECTIONALS

In United States aviation, a VFR Sectional chart, often called sectional for short, is a type of aeronautical chart designed for

navigation under visual flight rules.

A sectional chart provides detailed information on topographical features that are important to aviators, such as terrain elevations,

ground features identifiable from altitude (rivers, dams, bridges, buildings, etc.), and ground features useful to pilots (airports,

beacons, landmarks, etc.). The chart also provides information on airspace classes, ground-based navigation aids, radio frequencies,

longitude and latitude, navigation waypoints, navigation routes.

Sectional charts are in 1:500,000 scale and are named for a major city within their area of coverage. The Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA) in the United States provides a series of over 50 charts covering the continental United States, Alaska, and

Hawaii. Sectional charts are published by the National Aeronautical Navigation Services Group of the FAA.

MetroAir Maps and Charts Guide 5 | P a g e

LO/HIGH ENROUTE CHARTS

In aviation, an en-route chart is an aeronautical chart that guides pilots flying under Instrument Flight Rules during the en-route

phase of flight. En-route (or Enroute) charts provide detailed information useful for instrument flight, including information on radio

navigation aids (navaids) such as VORs and NDBs, navigational fixes (waypoints and intersections), standard airways, airport

locations, minimum altitudes, and so on. Information not directly relevant to instrument navigation, such as visual landmarks and

terrain features, are not included.

Enroute charts are divided into high and low versions, with information on airways and navaids for high- and low-altitude flight, respectively. The division between low altitude and high altitude is usually defined as the altitude that marks transition to flight levels (in the United States, this is taken to be 18,000 feet MSL by convention).

Lo Enroute Chart

High Enroute Chart

MetroAir Maps and Charts Guide 6 | P a g e

TERMINAL AREA CHARTS

In United States and Canadian aviation, Terminal area charts are aeronautical charts intended for navigation under Visual Flight

Rules that depict areas surrounding major airports, primarily those with Class B airspace.

Like the VFR sectional charts that they complement, terminal area charts depict topographic features and other information of

interest to aviators flying visually, including major landmarks, terrain elevations, visual navigation routes, ground-based navigation

aids, airports, rivers, cities, and airspace boundaries. TACs are more detailed than sectional charts, and are scaled at 1:250,000 (as

opposed to 1:500,000 for sectional charts) to permit inclusion of more detail. TACs contain information on approach, departure, and

transition rules and procedures for the congested Class B areas around major airports.

TACs are updated at six-month intervals.

MetroAir Maps and Charts Guide 7 | P a g e

IAPS – INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURES

Instrument Approach Procedures (IAP) charts portray the aeronautical data which is required to execute an instrument approach to

an airport. These charts depict the procedures, including all related data, and the airport diagram. Each procedure is designated for

use with a specific type of electronic navigation system including NDB, TACAN, VOR, ILS/MLS, and RNAV. These charts are identified

by the type of navigational aid(s) which provide final approach guidance. Included data on this type of chart includes approach

course, missed approach procedures, radio frequencies used at the airport, airport elevation among many, many other things.

MetroAir Maps and Charts Guide 8 | P a g e

DPS – DEPARTURE PROCEDURES (“SID” OR STANDARD INSTRUMENT PROCEDURE)

A Departure Procedure (DP) (also known as a Standard Instrument Departure (SID)) is a published procedure followed by aircraft on

an IFR flight plan just after departing an airport. DPs start at the DER (Departure End of Runway) and leads along waypoints (VOR,

NDB, DME) on defined flight levels. The end of a SID is reached when the aircraft is leaving the surveyed airspace of the departed

airport's ATC. The DP/SID system exists to ensure secure passing of obstacles along the flight path. Defining a DP/SID relies mainly on

noise-avoiding and security aspects and can reflect noise-avoiding at different times of day above cities or secure passing along

important installations (military, private, public, governmental, etc.)

In busier airspaces, these procedures are used to increase efficiency and safety while decreasing workload on pilots and controllers.

This is accomplished by providing as much information as possible to the pilot on the chart to reduce the number of instructions that

an ATC will have to give. For ATCs it makes traffic management much simpler as aircraft are flying on more predictable routes.

MetroAir Maps and Charts Guide 9 | P a g e

STARS – STANDARD TERMINAL ARRIVAL ROUTES

A Standard Terminal Arrival Route (STAR) is a published procedure followed by aircraft on an IFR flight plan just before reaching a

destination airport. A STAR usually covers the phase of a flight that lies between the top of descent from cruise or en-route flight

and the final approach to a runway for landing. STARS include information such as waypoints along a path based on your arrival

runway. They also include specific information on speed and altitude limits that pilots can expect to cross waypoints at along the

route.

In busier airspaces, these routes are used to increase efficiency and safety while decreasing workload on pilots and controllers. This

is accomplished by providing as much information as possible to the pilot on the chart to reduce the number of instructions that an

ATC will have to give. For ATCs it makes traffic management much simpler as aircraft are flying on more predictable routes.

MetroAir Maps and Charts Guide 10 | P a g e

WHERE TO FIND CHARTS ONLINE

There are more than a few places online where you can obtain current aeronautical charts. Below is only a small list of what’s

available: VATSim Chart Center: http://charts.vatsim.net – Charts from around the world.

VATSIM Chartfinder tool: http://chartfinder.vatsim.net – Chartfinder greatly simplifies location of current charts in North America,

the UK, Australia, and Canada. The Canadian charts are incomplete and out-of –date.

Airnav.com: http://www.airnav.com – Real-world Charts and airport information.

SkyVector: http://skyvector.com – All types of charts for the U.S.A. and Alaska.

MetroAir Virtual: http://www.metroairvirtual.com/schedule.php – Did you know that you can always grab charts from inside the

bid page of a MetroAir flight? At the bottom of every bid page there is a section called “Planning Resources”. You can find charts

relevant to your departure and arrival airports in this section! After searching for a flight, select the desired flight and you will see a

screen like below. Notice the section at the bottom circled in red. If you were to click on KMCI Departure Charts for example you

would have links for the Airport Diagram as well as all Departure Procedures for KMCI. If you were to click on KIAH Arrival Charts

you would see links to the Airport Diagram and all Arrival charts and procedures for KIAH.