Air Chart System

[Spike]

Are any of you guys flying with the Air Chart system? If so Id be interested in hearing what you think of it.

Spike

[TomC]

I use the airchart systems VFR system. It is their WAC book. It is great for keeping me current where ever I go. The only problem I have with it is that WAC's don't show the frequencies for untowered airports like a sectional does. I would have bought the sectional books except I live in the Midwest, which is on the border between the two books. It is also twice as expensive. I tried to get them to produce a "midwest" book with half of the east book and half of the west book but they declined. Other than the frequencies, their WAC book is sufficient for my VFR flying. The only other problem I have with the system is that my wife sometimes thinks the updates are junk mail and pitches them. That's not too bad as they are also available online.

Good Luck!

[svanarts]

I have the sectional book. I like everything about it except that the form factor of the book is too big to use in my RV-4. It would be fine in your passenger's lap in an RV-7 or 9. I also don't like the updates. They send you a postcard with alll the changes. I'd be willing to pay more if they could come up with a system where I could just change out chart pages like Flight Guide does.

[Wicked Stick]

I have one I bought last year that I only use if I'm flying further than my N.Y. Sectional boundaries. I also like to update my 496's databases if I'm taking a trip of great length as well.

It's kinda funny, I like to fly like an old fashion barnstormer, looking outside and buzzing around, but I much prefer all the hi-tech geeky stuff when it comes to a X-Country trip. Would be nice if there were more options for being legal with electronic charts and databases.

[dpansier]

I had the opportunity to use both Jep and Gov’t charts and approach plates years ago in a 135 operation. I disliked the Jep’s because they were printed on tissue like paper and the task of replacing the changes were not my idea of fun.
With the Gov’t charts, we received a new set every month, made the changes easy but what shame to toss all that paper.
When it came time to equip my plane I went with the Air Chart System, reason being the changes were so simple, I could choose to make them all or just the area I planned to fly.
Before each flight I would check the route of flight against the changes and pencil them in the proper places.
Having the low altitude charts in one book sure beat the fold ups. Each year when the new issues came out I would have several VFR guys fighting for the sectional book, the complete US in one neat book.
I used the Air Chart System for over 10 years and will return to them when I get RV complete. They worked great for the flying I did.

Dpansier
RV-7 (Still on the finish kit)

[BrickPilot]

I used the Air Charts system for a couple of years before I sold the Skylane. Worked well, and looking over the updates were pretty quick and convenient - unless something changed near my route of flight, but that was rare. The form factor was big, but was fine in a 182 and the whole thing worked very well for severe cross-countries.