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What to Consider When Choosing Instrument Approach Plates

National Ocean Service and Jeppesen offer the same information but in different presentations.

National Ocean Service (NOS) binder. [Courtesy: Meg Godlewski]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Before electronic flight bags (EFBs), pilots relied on paper instrument approach plates, primarily choosing between government-produced National Ocean Service (NOS) charts and Jeppesen charts.
  • Jeppesen and NOS charts feature distinct layouts, information presentation, and physical characteristics, with differences in briefing strip content, diagram details, and overall arrangement.
  • While Jeppesen has become the industry standard for commercial aviation, knowing both chart types remains beneficial for pilots, especially during training, despite the widespread adoption of electronic charts.
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Before electronic flight bags became as obsequious as Starbucks, pilots relied upon paper charts for information, especially in the IFR environment. 

There were two choices for instrument approach plates: the government-printed National Ocean Service (NOS), or Jeppesen. Every fledgling instrument candidate had to choose which they would use.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.

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