What FAA aeronautical charts and publications are available?
FAA aeronautical charts and publications explained: learn what each covers, when to use it, and how to confirm it is valid for your flight.
The FAA provides VFR charts, IFR enroute charts, terminal procedure charts, airport diagrams, planning and special-purpose charts, plus supporting publications such as the Chart Supplement, Aeronautical Information Manual, Chart User’s Guide and U.S. AIP. For Aviation & Real-World Flying, select the product for the flight phase and verify its effective date and NOTAMs.
What are the main FAA aeronautical chart types?
The main divisions are VFR navigation charts, IFR enroute charts, terminal procedures, airport diagrams and planning or special-purpose charts.
| FAA product | Primary use | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Sectional Aeronautical Chart | Normal VFR planning and navigation, with airports, airspace, terrain, obstacles, landmarks and radio aids at 1:500,000 scale | Less terminal detail than a TAC and not designed to show the IFR route structure |
| Terminal Area Chart and VFR Flyway Planning Chart | VFR operations around selected high-density terminal areas; TACs use a larger 1:250,000 scale | Only produced for selected areas; flyway charts support planning and should be used with the appropriate sectional or TAC |
| Helicopter and regional VFR charts | Published for selected helicopter routes or special regions, including products for the Grand Canyon and Caribbean | Coverage and operating purpose differ by product, so the chart notes and legend matter |
| IFR Low Altitude Enroute Chart | Airways, RNAV routes, fixes, NAVAIDs, airports and controlled airspace used generally below 18,000 feet MSL | Does not replace departure, arrival or approach procedures |
| IFR High Altitude Enroute Chart | High-altitude jet and RNAV route structures used generally from 18,000 feet MSL upwards | Low-level route detail and terminal procedures are omitted |
| IFR Area Chart | Enlarged IFR detail around congested terminal areas where the enroute chart would be difficult to read | It covers only the depicted area and must be paired with the appropriate enroute chart |
| Terminal Procedures Publication | Departure procedures, SIDs, STARs, instrument approach procedures, airport diagrams and associated textual pages | Take-off minima, obstacle departure procedures and alternate minima may appear on separate pages |
| Planning charts | Broad route selection and strategic overview across large regions | Not a substitute for detailed enroute or terminal charts |
Our catalogue of downloadable FAA visual charts and terminal procedures shows how these products are organised. For VFR-specific scale, symbols and coverage, see our detailed sectional chart reference.
Old World Aeronautical Charts, often called WACs, still appear in tutorials and archived collections but are no longer an active FAA chart series. They should not be treated as valid substitutes for sectionals or planning products.
Which FAA publications accompany the charts?
The Chart Supplement, AIM, Aeronautical Chart User’s Guide and U.S. AIP provide the operational detail and interpretation that cannot fit neatly on a chart.
- Chart Supplement U.S.: lists airports, heliports, seaplane bases, communications, services, NAVAIDs and operational remarks by region. Older references call this the Airport/Facility Directory or A/FD.
- Aeronautical Information Manual: explains basic flight information, National Airspace System procedures, air traffic control practices and pilot responsibilities. The AIM is guidance rather than a replacement for regulations or an ATC clearance.
- Aeronautical Chart User’s Guide: defines chart symbols, abbreviations, colours and presentation conventions. It is the correct reference when a symbol cannot be identified confidently from the chart legend alone.
- United States Aeronautical Information Publication: presents lasting national aeronautical information in the standard international AIP structure, including aerodromes, routes, airspace and procedures.
- NOTAMs and temporary flight restrictions: provide time-sensitive changes that may amend or override a printed chart or procedure. A chart library alone is not a complete real-world preflight briefing.
Digital charts and simulator navdata
A digital chart can reproduce the paper chart, while coded aeronautical data supplies the fixes, routes and procedures used by navigation systems. These are related products, but they are not interchangeable.
A georeferenced PDF or raster chart knows where the chart lies on the earth; it does not update an aircraft’s FMS database. In a flight simulator, the chart, simulator navdata, airport scenery and aircraft database may all represent different effective periods. A procedure can therefore appear on the chart but be absent from the FMS, or a taxiway can have its new designation on the chart while older scenery still shows the previous layout.
Which FAA chart should I use for a flight?
Choose the chart according to the operating rules, altitude, location and phase of flight rather than trying to use one product from departure to arrival.
- For ordinary VFR flight: use a sectional, adding a TAC where greater detail is available around a busy terminal area.
- For IFR cruise: use the low- or high-altitude enroute chart matching the route structure and cruising level. Add an area chart where one is published for a congested terminal region.
- For an IFR departure or arrival: use the applicable DP, SID or STAR and read every associated textual restriction. For the final segment, use the complete instrument approach plate; our plate-by-plate approach chart walkthrough explains courses, fixes, minima and the missed approach.
- For taxiing: use the airport diagram rather than an enroute chart or the small airport plan shown on some VFR charts.
- For special operations: check whether a helicopter, flyway or regional chart exists and read its notes before treating depicted routes as usable.
How can I tell whether an FAA chart is valid?
An FAA chart is usable only when its edition or effective dates cover the flight and all later amendments, NOTAMs and procedure changes have been checked.
- Read the chart identification: check the title, edition, effective date and expiration information printed on the product. The file’s download or modification date proves nothing.
- Check the whole procedure set: an approach plate may depend on separate pages covering take-off minima, alternate minima or amendments.
- Review time-sensitive changes: a NOTAM can close a runway, change a frequency, suspend a procedure or alter a minimum before the next chart edition.
- Confirm simulator compatibility: compare the chart with the simulator’s navdata and scenery. Do not change an official chart to match an outdated virtual airport; recognise the mismatch and choose the appropriate workaround.
Publication schedules differ by product, so never assume that every chart follows the same cycle. Our guide to obtaining in-force sectional and enroute charts explains the source and edition checks for those chart families.