Whats Changed Here?

With so many sources for PDF versions of government approach plates, available on the internet, its easy to get a quick book of approaches for your local area. People who need just a chart or two usually click the link on AOPAs web tool or Fltplan.com and print the chart.

jwanwest

Wednesday, November 26, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The FAA's `aeronav.faa.gov` website is the official source for free digital terminal procedures (d-TPP), providing a "Compare PDF" tool to identify changes in approach plates.
This comparison tool generates a two-page PDF highlighting all differences between old and new charts in pink, making it easy to spot amendments.
Changes are categorized into critical "procedural changes" (e.g., altitudes, headings), less significant "non-procedure changes" (e.g., charting updates), and often misleading "pixel changes" (minor graphical shifts not always indicative of content alteration).

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With so many sources for PDF versions of government approach plates, available on the internet, it’s easy to get a quick book of approaches for your local area. People who need just a chart or two usually click the link on AOPA’s web tool or Fltplan.com and print the chart.

But you can also get charts straight from the source: aeronav.faa.gov. The web site is a treasure trove of free data (well, you paid for it last April) and it’s the best place to find out what changed on an approach plate if a new one was issued for your local berg.