Voil Volpe

If there was ever a high-performance document, the instrument approach procedure chart (plate) is it. Flying an approach asks a lot of us. Information needed for an IAP, SID or STAR must be retrievable quickly and correctly off the chart while minimizing head-down time away from the instruments.Until the mid-1990s, approach charts evolved without scientific study, driven instead by user feedback and flight safety. Liability proved a mixed blessing. Litigation motivates accuracy, but also makes…

Editorial Staff

Thursday, July 31, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Modern instrument approach charts, known as the Volpe format, resulted from mid-1990s FAA-commissioned human factors studies aimed at improving their organization, readability, and clarity for pilots.
Chart design involves complex tradeoffs, balancing extensive information content, legibility for diverse users, and cost, all within strict size limitations, often leading to visual clutter.
Key design improvements from research include the Volpe Briefing Strip for quick access to critical information, the adoption of intuitive icons (like for missed approaches), and optimized layouts of plan and profile views to aid efficient information retrieval during flight.

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If there was ever a “high-performance document,” the instrument approach procedure chart (“plate”) is it. Flying an approach asks a lot of us. Information needed for an IAP, SID or STAR must be retrievable quickly and correctly off the chart while minimizing head-down time away from the instruments.
Until the mid-1990s, approach charts evolved without scientific study, driven instead by user feedback and flight safety. Liability proved a mixed blessing. Litigation motivates accuracy, but also makes it difficult to remove marginally useful information that adds chart clutter. You can imagine the argument in court: “It wasn’t on the chart!”