Learn how to read Jeppesen approach charts for flight simulation, from the briefing strip and profile to minima, missed approaches and chart traps.
To read a Jeppesen approach chart for flight simulation, identify the airport and exact procedure, then work through the briefing strip, plan view, profile view, minima and missed approach. Match the chart to the simulator’s navigation-data cycle, set the avionics, obey every altitude constraint and decide before minimums whether to land or go around.
Within our Aviation & Real-World Flying coverage, we treat an approach plate as a sequence of instructions rather than a picture of the airport. Jeppesen’s layout is broadly standardised, but symbols and presentation can vary by region, procedure and chart edition. Use the legend supplied with your chart service whenever a symbol is unclear. For real flying, use approved current charts and the procedures required by your instructor, operator and aviation authority.
What are the main parts of a Jeppesen approach chart?
A Jeppesen approach chart presents identification and setup information at the top, lateral routing in the plan view, vertical guidance in the profile view, and landing minima near the bottom.
| Chart area | What to read | Common trap |
|---|---|---|
| Identification and heading | Airport, location, procedure title, runway, chart index and revision information | Selecting the wrong runway or a similarly named Y, Z or localiser-only procedure |
| Briefing strip and notes | Frequencies, inbound course, approach requirements, key altitudes and missed-approach instructions | Skipping an equipment, altimeter, temperature or operational restriction |
| Plan view | Initial approach fixes, transitions, tracks, holds, navaids, distances and missed routing | Treating the minimum sector altitude as a cleared procedural altitude |
| Profile view | Crossing altitudes, final approach fix, descent path, step-down fixes and missed approach point | Starting down before the depicted fix or intercepting a glideslope from above |
| Minimums | DA(H) or MDA(H), aircraft category, visibility or RVR, and lighting-related adjustments | Setting the parenthesised height instead of the corresponding altimeter altitude |
For the wider process of selecting a chart and transferring its fixes, courses and restrictions into the aircraft, follow our workflow for using charted data in a simulator.
How do I brief a Jeppesen approach chart?
Brief the chart from top to bottom, but trace the actual route from your cleared transition all the way through the missed approach.
- Confirm the plate: Check the airport identifier, procedure name, runway and procedure suffix. An ILS Y, ILS Z and LOC procedure may use different fixes, restrictions or minima even when they serve the same runway.
- Read every applicable note: Look for requirements involving DME, RNAV, radar, authorised equipment, remote altimeter settings, temperature limits and circling restrictions. A loaded FMS procedure does not remove these conditions.
- Set and verify the navigation data: For an ILS or localiser approach, confirm the frequency and final approach course shown on the selected plate. Some aircraft tune these automatically, but the crew still verifies them. Our explanation of finding and checking the correct ILS data covers this setup in detail.
- Trace the plan view: Start at the transition or initial approach fix you expect to receive. Follow each course, fix, hold and distance to the final approach segment, then continue along the missed-approach track. Distances may be measured from a named DME source rather than from the runway.
- Read the vertical profile: Note every at-or-above, at-or-below and mandatory altitude, plus the final approach fix and descent path. On an ILS, intercept the glideslope from below at the charted altitude unless the procedure or ATC clearance says otherwise. Understanding the localiser and glideslope indications helps connect the plate to the cockpit instruments.
- Select the correct minima: Use the column for the aircraft’s applicable approach category and the line matching the guidance being flown. Set the published decision altitude or minimum descent altitude on the appropriate bug or alert.
- Brief the missed approach: State the first climb instruction, target altitude, turn direction, routing and holding fix. Do not wait until reaching minimums to inspect this part of the plate.
What do the altitude markings mean?
Jeppesen altitude markings distinguish mandatory levels from upper and lower limits, and confusing them can put the aircraft below protected terrain clearance.
- A line under an altitude normally means cross at or above that altitude.
- A line over an altitude normally means cross at or below it.
- Lines above and below indicate a mandatory altitude.
- Upper and lower values together create an altitude window.
- The profile’s descent angle or glidepath does not cancel any published crossing restriction.
Electronic rendering and chart editions can differ, so confirm unfamiliar markings against the relevant Jeppesen legend. Also distinguish a charted course or track from a heading instruction: wind changes the heading needed to maintain a ground track.
Which Jeppesen approach minimum should I use?
Use the minima for the guidance actually available and the applicable aircraft approach category, not simply the lowest number printed on the chart.
An ILS or an approach with approved vertical guidance commonly uses a decision altitude, DA. At DA, continue only when the required visual reference and other conditions are satisfied; otherwise initiate the missed approach. A non-precision procedure commonly uses a minimum descent altitude, MDA, below which the aircraft must not descend without the required visual conditions.
In a notation such as DA(H) or MDA(H), the main value is the altitude used on the altimeter. The parenthesised value is the height above the specified reference and is not normally what you set as barometric minimums.
Columns A, B, C and D represent aircraft approach categories. Use the category prescribed by the aircraft documentation and applicable operating rules. If the approach is flown faster than that category permits, higher-category minima may apply. Visibility and runway visual range are not interchangeable, and neither is simply another name for cloud base.
What does the minimum sector altitude circle allow?
The minimum sector altitude provides emergency obstacle clearance within the depicted sectors and radius; it is not permission to descend from your cleared route.
The MSA may be centred on an airport, navaid or fix, so check its reference point and sector boundaries. Continue using the published transition and approach altitudes unless ATC assigns another altitude or the procedure explicitly permits the descent.
What if the chart and flight simulator disagree?
If the chart, FMS and scenery disagree, first check that they represent the same airport, runway, procedure variant and navigation-data cycle.
- Missing or different fixes: The chart and aircraft database probably use different procedure revisions. Do not combine half of one revision with half of another.
- Runway number mismatch: Older scenery may pre-date a runway renumbering caused by magnetic variation. Match the procedure to the navigation database rather than selecting solely by the painted scenery number.
- Slight course difference: Magnetic-model or data-cycle differences can produce a small discrepancy. Recheck the procedure identity and use one coherent chart-and-database set.
- Large routing difference: Stop, remove the approach and verify the airport and procedure suffix. A similarly named transition is a frequent cause.
- Correct route but no guidance: Check the tuned frequency, selected CDI source, approach mode and whether the aircraft has captured rather than merely armed the guidance.
A mistake we see constantly is assuming that loading an approach into the FMS means the aircraft is cleared, configured and ready to fly it. The chart still governs the briefing, restrictions, minima and missed approach; the avionics only help execute them. Our full simulated IFR sequence from clearance through the missed approach explains where that chart briefing fits into the rest of the flight.