Tracking Changes

Sunday, September 26, 2021 at 08:44 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Pilots have transitioned from manual paper chart updates to large electronic downloads, requiring attention to both the chart's effective cycle and its last amendment date, with Jeppesen charts typically detailing reasons for changes unlike government charts.
Significant chart changes, such as runway renumbering due to magnetic variation, often coincide with subtle but important revisions to approach procedures or notes (e.g., VDP annotations, RVR details) that may not be explicitly highlighted.
Charts contain specialized information like Runway Declared Distances ("D" annotation) and tailored approach minimums or holding patterns (e.g., CAT E for faster aircraft); pilots must diligently review all charts, even familiar ones, to avoid complacency and ensure awareness of critical updates.

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Before EFBs and apps displaying electronic terminal and en-route charts, we went through a monthly update ritual with paper charts. Every 28 days Jeppesen chart subscribers got new and updated paper sheets. The new sheets had to be placed into the famous Jeppesen seven-ring binders. Then obsolete charts were discarded. Depending on the subscription coverage, the update process could be quite lengthy. Then we had a yearly checklist to confirm each individual sheet was the right one. Government chart users had it much easier, simply disposing of obsolete chart book(s) and replacing them with new one(s).

For most of us using electronic charts, updating means downloading all the charts, not just changes. For extensive coverage, this can be an overnight affair given the size of the files and download speed. Panelmount navigators have a similar ordeal: monthly downloads of the charts (and other databases) usually onto an SD card and uploaded into the unit.