This feels a little bit too much like going to confession, but I’m going to come clean and admit I’m a paper-chart girl. Always have been, always will be. One of those rare, soon-to-be-extinct dinosaurs who still subscribes to printed charts. But before your jaw drops any farther, it might help to know I’m not exactly a purist. I love those Garmin boxes in my Cessna 180—a WAAS-enabled, IFR panel-mount GPS and a 696 portable with SiriusXM weather. And then there’s the ForeFlight app on my iPad and iPhone. But in spite of all this electronic wizardry, I wouldn’t dream of slipping the surly bonds without IFR en route charts, bound paper approach plates and those beloved sectional charts in my airplane. And, yes, I use them flying VFR or IFR or both…well, maybe not the en route charts much anymore.
A Love Affair with Paper Charts
Key Takeaways:
- The author, a self-professed "paper-chart girl," strongly prefers traditional paper charts for in-flight navigation over modern electronic systems, citing their simplicity, reliability, and ease of use in the cockpit.
- She finds electronic flight bags (EFBs) challenging to operate safely and effectively in flight, especially in demanding single-pilot IFR conditions, due to interface complexity, small buttons, and physical dexterity limitations.
- The article advocates for the enduring value of paper charts as a crucial "back to basics" backup, a source of navigational enjoyment, and a fundamental pilotage skill that every aviator should maintain.
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