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.
