Learn the main types of aviation charts, including VFR, IFR en-route, SID, STAR, approach and airport charts, and exactly when each is used.
The main types of aviation charts are VFR navigation charts, IFR en-route charts, terminal-area charts, departure and arrival procedure charts, instrument approach charts, and aerodrome or airport diagrams. Pilots use them for visual navigation, airway routing, detailed terminal operations, standard procedures, instrument approaches, and safe ground movement respectively.
In our Aviation & Real-World Flying coverage, we group charts by the job they perform rather than by a particular publisher's product name. Names, symbols and presentation vary between countries, but the functional categories remain broadly consistent.
Main types of aviation charts and what they show
| Chart family | What it contains | Primary use |
|---|---|---|
| VFR navigation chart | Terrain, obstacles, towns, roads, airspace, airports, radio frequencies, visual reporting points and navigation aids. | Planning and flying under visual flight rules using outside references. Examples include sectional, visual navigation and ICAO chart products. |
| Terminal or area chart | An enlarged view of congested airspace, detailed airspace boundaries, reporting points, routes and nearby airports. | Operating around major terminal areas where a broader en-route chart cannot show enough detail. Both VFR terminal charts and IFR area charts exist. |
| IFR en-route chart | Airways, RNAV routes, fixes, navigation aids, reporting points, route distances, controlled airspace and published minimum altitudes. | Planning and monitoring the en-route section of an instrument flight. Low- and high-altitude chart series are normally published separately; the altitude division depends on the national system. |
| SID or departure chart | Departure tracks, transitions, fixes, climb gradients, navigation requirements and altitude or speed restrictions. | Flying a Standard Instrument Departure or other published departure procedure from the runway into the en-route structure. |
| STAR or arrival chart | Arrival routes, transitions, fixes, runway links and published altitude or speed constraints. | Moving from the en-route structure towards an airport in a predictable sequence before vectors or an instrument approach. |
| Instrument approach chart | Plan and profile views, frequencies, courses, altitudes, approach minima, missed-approach instructions and relevant airport information. | Briefing and flying a particular instrument approach to a named runway or landing area. |
| Aerodrome or airport diagram | Runways, taxiways, aprons, stands, holding positions, elevations and identified hotspots. | Taxi planning, runway identification and ground situational awareness before take-off and after landing. |
SIDs and STARs are not interchangeable with en-route charts: the procedure sheet contains constraints and transitions that the en-route chart may omit. Our practical explanation of SID and STAR fixes, transitions and restrictions covers how those elements fit together.
An approach chart depicts one procedure rather than every possible way of landing. Understanding the capabilities and limitations of different instrument approach types helps explain why their minima and equipment requirements differ.
Do weather charts count as aviation charts?
Weather charts are aviation charts in the broad sense, but they are not normally classed as aeronautical navigation charts. Surface analyses, significant-weather charts, winds and temperatures aloft, radar products, icing forecasts and turbulence charts help pilots decide when and where conditions are suitable; they do not replace route or procedure charts.
Which aviation chart should be used in each phase of flight?
- Pre-flight planning: Select the appropriate VFR or IFR en-route chart, then gather the departure, arrival, approach and aerodrome charts likely to be needed. Check weather, NOTAMs and other operational publications separately.
- Taxi and take-off: Use the aerodrome diagram for ground movement, then the assigned SID or departure procedure after take-off. An airport diagram supports the taxi clearance; it does not grant permission to cross or enter a runway.
- En route: Use a VFR navigation chart when flying visually or the relevant low- or high-altitude IFR chart when following the instrument route structure.
- Arrival: Use the assigned STAR or arrival procedure, including the correct transition. ATC may amend the route or provide vectors, so a printed line is not itself a clearance.
- Approach and landing: Brief the complete instrument approach chart, including minima and the missed approach. After landing, return to the aerodrome diagram for taxiing.
Airport layouts can be deceptively dense, particularly where several taxiways meet near a runway. Our guide to interpreting runways, holding points, stands and hotspots explains the details that are easiest to miss.
What is the difference between VFR and IFR charts?
VFR charts emphasise visible terrain, obstacles, landmarks and airspace; IFR charts emphasise routes, fixes, navigation facilities and protected minimum altitudes. An IFR en-route chart is not simply a VFR map with extra airways, and it may show little of the ground detail needed for visual navigation.
The altitude figures also serve different purposes. A VFR chart's maximum-elevation or obstacle figures are not substitutes for an IFR route minimum, while an approach chart's MSA is not permission to descend outside the published procedure. Every altitude label must be interpreted according to its specific definition.
Are aviation charts the same worldwide?
Aviation charts follow international conventions, but titles, symbols, units, scales and procedure presentation are not identical worldwide. State authorities publish their own aeronautical information, while commercial chart systems may reformat the same underlying data. For US operations, our summary of FAA chart families and the operations each supports clarifies the local product names.
Paper and electronic charts are presentation formats, not separate chart categories. Electronic systems can combine charts, aircraft position and route data, but their operational acceptance depends on the regulator and operator. A simulator chart or community-created file should never be assumed suitable for real-world navigation.
What chart mistakes cause the most trouble?
- Using an obsolete edition: Check the effective date and amendments. NOTAMs and aeronautical-information supplements may change a procedure before a replacement chart appears.
- Selecting the wrong scale: An en-route chart may omit terminal detail, while an enlarged terminal chart may not cover enough area for route planning.
- Loading the wrong transition or runway: A SID, STAR or approach name alone is insufficient when several transitions and runway variants exist.
- Confusing minimum altitudes: MEA, MORA, MOCA, MSA and procedure step-down altitudes are not interchangeable and do not all provide the same navigation, terrain or obstacle protection.
- Ignoring the navigation-data cycle: The chart and aircraft database should describe the same procedure revision. In a simulator, a mismatch often appears as a missing waypoint, route discontinuity or different altitude constraint.
- Treating a chart as a clearance: Charts describe available routes and procedures. The actual clearance, local restrictions and valid operational information determine what may be flown.