I find Jepp charts perfectly readable on an ipad mini retina display. I have good eyesight but I think you can zoom to the relevant part in final to have the entire missed approach big and visible.
Jepp charts are, in my opinion, the best for clarity and consistency – provided one has a good bank manager (or an airline friend who can ‘pass on’ his printouts!).
Most of the time – although I acknowledge that their range is rather limited to UK and Northern Europe – I use, and recommend, gCap plates: https://www.gcap.uk/
They are not only substantially cheaper than Jepp, but I find them very clear – especially in low light – and they contain all the information that I require for flying Category A aircraft.
Worth exploring . . .
In most cases, all you need is the LOC frequency as you are vectored in 9 out of 10 cases to intercept final and once established have to just follow the GS down to the runway. OK, in case you have to fly the full procedure or if the weather forecast is close to the minima, you need to have a closer look at the plates, right? I know, you need to be prepared and brief the whole plate and setup.
As for the AIP plates versus Jepp. I agree fully that the Jepp plates are consistent and easier to read, but once I got used to the AIP plates it just didn’t make sense anymore to waste money on the Jepp plates. Flying the AIP plates becomes just as easy. Take e.g. the ILS rw 24 at EHRD issue. Yes, the LOC frequency is mentioned elsewhere on the plate. You figure that out and the next time, this is where you look on the plate and bingo … there it is. No big deal. True … the AIP plates are not consistent from one country to the next, but even now it is a matter of putting in a few extra minutes initially to figure out the difference.
The Jepp plate minima (DA/RVR) are not always correct according to EU-OPS. And calculating them yourselves is also a matter of a few minutes and can be seen as a kind of approach briefing. You actually looked at the plates to find the numbers and did a small calculation.
So now I have some money left each year to fly more or to enjoy the Fruits de Mer at Le Touquet instead of paying this insanely high amount to Jeppesen.
After reading this post I thought I would compare a French AIP approach chart to a Jepp (which I use). I have clicked every option on the (http://www.sia.aviation-civile.gouv.fr/) site but can not find an approach plate. Does anybody know if they have been withdrawn?
It has changed but IFR plates can still be found under eAIP (https://www.sia.aviation-civile.gouv.fr/aip/enligne/FRANCE/AIRAC-2016-03-03/html/index-fr-FR.html )
The plates are in chapter AD 2.24 of the various aerodromes.
The VFR plates are under Atlas VAC
The problem is that any URLs which contain the AIRAC cycle date (like the above) will be dead pretty fast.
You start here or here if you want the English one.
Then click three times
There is a problem with the eAIP in that many aerodromes are missing. Someone recently posted a link to the full AIP but I can’t find it.
At the risk of exposing my lack of clues, why don’t you like/use the Eurocontrol PAMS Light
All of the charts in one place, I find it much easier than chasing each country down. Is there a downside to the Eurocontrol one I am not aware of?
The Eurocontrol one has less PDFs, but they seem to simply contain more pages than the SIA ones.
tmo wrote:
At the risk of exposing my lack of clues, why don’t you like/use the Eurocontrol PAMS Light
All of the charts in one place, I find it much easier than chasing each country down
Oh please. That interface is from the previous century. The EuroGA router has a much better interface and provides all plates for an airport in the same PDF instead of one PDF for each plate.
Rwy20 wrote:
Question to the experienced pilots: Do you always identify the navaids you use?
You don’t? Tune – Identify – Test. Your life relies on it in IMC …
