How many sectionals/WACs?

Toby

Toby

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Toby Speed
For long-distance planning, is there a way to check out possible routes and terrain before ordering a whole lot of sectionals and/or WACs? Ordering 6 or 7 sectionals or 4 WACs seems like overkill, especially since they are going to be obsolete soon, anyway. It's hard to tell from the tiny diagrams at Sportys exactly where the boundaries are.

Thanks.
 
Toby said:
For long-distance planning, is there a way to check out possible routes and terrain before ordering a whole lot of sectionals and/or WACs? Ordering 6 or 7 sectionals or 4 WACs seems like overkill, especially since they are going to be obsolete soon, anyway. It's hard to tell from the tiny diagrams at Sportys exactly where the boundaries are.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Yes. AOPA FLightplanner in conjunction with this:

http://www.aeroplanner.com

Go to the flight planning section with Smartcharts, Sectionals and Wacs. This portion of the service is free.
 
I bought a US wall map from Sporty's and use that to lay out a general route. It provides enough detail about terrain and cities for me to establish what I believe is the best route.
I then use Sporty's chart doctor to generate a list of recomended charts. I never order everything they recommend because that is overkill but it lets me know which sectionals I'll need.
Then I'll use both the sectionals and AOPA's flight planner to work out the exact route.
And finally, I have found AOPA's flight planner great for locating and marking, in advance, alternate/diversion airports along the entire route.
 
Toby said:
For long-distance planning, is there a way to check out possible routes and terrain before ordering a whole lot of sectionals and/or WACs? Ordering 6 or 7 sectionals or 4 WACs seems like overkill, especially since they are going to be obsolete soon, anyway. It's hard to tell from the tiny diagrams at Sportys exactly where the boundaries are.

Thanks.
Click to expand...


I had 18 sectionals for my July trip. Is $48 really gonna make a trip that big a no-go?
 
Remember that the Airport Facility Directory will tell you on which sectional an airport is listed. I know that doesn't help necessarily for enroute, but does help you for the last leg. Also, if you use airports as waypoints enroute, you can do the same. IIRC, VORs are listed in there too, aren't they?

Benefit here is that the AFD is A: cheap and B: covers a lot of ground per volume

Jim G
 
Toby said:
For long-distance planning, is there a way to check out possible routes and terrain before ordering a whole lot of sectionals and/or WACs? Ordering 6 or 7 sectionals or 4 WACs seems like overkill, especially since they are going to be obsolete soon, anyway. It's hard to tell from the tiny diagrams at Sportys exactly where the boundaries are.
Click to expand...

The VFR wall planning chart can be used for that. I also use a standard world atlas for starters if I don't know the area at all then go from there.

You can, at least use to be able to, pick up obsolete charts at some FBO's that are getting ready to go into the trash. Ask around, others pilots may be willing to give you their old ones too. I got a whole bunch that way over the years.

Once you do get charts, keep at least one of each in a reference pile. (I keep two, one for each side) Even if the charts are 20 years out of date, the rocks tend to be in the same general place at the same general elevation as are a fair amount of navaids. It's a start point before buying current charts.
 
Thanks for all the ideas. I'm going to go with the Sporty's wall map first, then order the sectionals and AFD's I want. I haven't used the AOPA flight planner for anything but the simplest trips yet. Is there anything that it can do better than what I can do with charts alone?
 
N2212R said:
I had 18 sectionals for my July trip. Is $48 really gonna make a trip that big a no-go?
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Toby, remember that this is a one-time fee. Once you assemble a set of sectionals, do not throw them out! Out of date sectionals work well for prliminary flight planning. Once that is done, do buy current sectionals... but just the ones you need.

-Skip
 
N2212R said:
I had 18 sectionals for my July trip. Is $48 really gonna make a trip that big a no-go?
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Where do you get sectionals that cheap. It would cost me $161. ($8.95 a piece)
 
The 18 was in reference to my trip. The $48 was in reference to Toby's trip requiring 6.

$8.00 each at sportys
 
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N2212R said:
The 18 was in reference to my trip. The $48 was in reference to Toby's trip requiring 6.
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It was more that I wanted to first get something that would give me an overview. If I start with a pile of sectionals, I'm not looking at the country and seeing where the mountain ranges are. They are too much of a closeup for me to figure out which direction to take. Of course, I'll be getting the sectionals, too.
 
Toby said:
It was more that I wanted to first get something that would give me an overview. If I start with a pile of sectionals, I'm not looking at the country and seeing where the mountain ranges are. They are too much of a closeup for me to figure out which direction to take. Of course, I'll be getting the sectionals, too.
Click to expand...

Figuring out which direction to take is what I think RTFP does better than sectionals for long trips. If you want an overview of the terrain, the Golden Eagle flight planner available from www.duats.com can give you that while you lay out your trip. It's a free download. Once you've figured out what general direction you want to go, then you can lay out the course on the sectionals and modify it as needed.
 
jangell said:
Where do you get sectionals that cheap. It would cost me $161. ($8.95 a piece)
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Sounds like a good business idea!! You could arrange to buy old sectionals from FBOs "on the cheap" (pennies on the dollar), rebundle them, and sell the whole U.S. set to pilots (for pre-planning purposes only, not for navigation) for $29.95 or something like that.

How much would YOU be willing to pay for a relatively current (last edition) FULL U.S. set of sectionals?
 
Toby said:
Is there anything that it can do better than what I can do with charts alone?
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The only thing I've found that it does better than me is finding the distance quickly on a trip that I am thinking about taking. For example, if I wanted to fly back to Manchester, NH some day (which I WILL do someday), it would take literally HOURS to figure out by hand how long it would take me to get there.

For a quick view - RTFP does it better....although Golden Eagle's Flight Prep beats RTFP hands down. Even has an online version that is the bomb.
 
Toby said:
I'm not looking at the country and seeing where the mountain ranges are.
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Toby, uh are you planning a trip to maybe ...... Sedona? California? Alaska? Let me be the first to ask, can I come? Willing to split costs and remove bugs from leading edges. I will even wax the underside of the wings:D
Elizabeth
 
EHITCH said:
Toby, uh are you planning a trip to maybe ...... Sedona? California? Alaska? Let me be the first to ask, can I come? Willing to split costs and remove bugs from leading edges. I will even wax the underside of the wings:D
Elizabeth
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Gaston's. You wanna come?
 
Troy Whistman said:
and sell the whole U.S. set to pilots (for pre-planning purposes only, not for navigation) for $29.95 or something like that.

How much would YOU be willing to pay for a relatively current (last edition) FULL U.S. set of sectionals?
Click to expand...

Sounds cool, until some knob crashes, and his NoK find a lawyer and slap a suit on you for selling out of date information.
 
Toby said:
It was more that I wanted to first get something that would give me an overview. If I start with a pile of sectionals, I'm not looking at the country and seeing where the mountain ranges are. They are too much of a closeup for me to figure out which direction to take. Of course, I'll be getting the sectionals, too.
Click to expand...

Well you don't have to worry about mountains until you pass Denver. Any U.S. map will do for long range planning. Most have terrain features. Once you get a route, you can look at Aeroplanner (free pictures of Sectionals) for close ups of terrain, etc.

Before I moved the plane to Denver, I hooked up with a fellow weboarder, and experienced mountain flyer Eric Jensen who gave me an overview and also a bunch of expired charts so I could do some flightplanning. If you post your destination or route I'm sure many of us could do the same. That's why we're here!
 
Toby said:
Gaston's. You wanna come?
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If ya fly all the way to Chicago to pick her up, I'll fly formation with ya to Gastons. Meet ya at the JOT VOR.
 
Anthony said:
Well you don't have to worry about mountains until you pass Denver. Any U.S. map will do for long range planning. Most have terrain features. Once you get a route, you can look at Aeroplanner (free pictures of Sectionals) for close ups of terrain, etc.

Before I moved the plane to Denver, I hooked up with a fellow weboarder, and experienced mountain flyer Eric Jensen who gave me an overview and also a bunch of expired charts so I could do some flightplanning. If you post your destination or route I'm sure many of us could do the same. That's why we're here!
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Thank you, Anthony! I'll do that. :)
 
N2212R said:
If ya fly all the way to Chicago to pick her up, I'll fly formation with ya to Gastons. Meet ya at the JOT VOR.
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It's a deal!

Wow, no one's ever asked me to meet them at a VOR before...
 
Toby said:
Next June. I like to start worrying early.
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Oh, ok! :rolleyes:

I've already reserved the Archer III for that weekend...
 
Toby said:
Ordering 6 or 7 sectionals or 4 WACs seems like overkill, especially since they are going to be obsolete soon, anyway.
Click to expand...

I've been hearing this stuff about WAC going away for 4 years now. Are they really going away or is this just an urban aviation myth kinda thing?

Scott
 
Toby said:
Gaston's. You wanna come?
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Hey Toby, when are you flying out to Gaston's? I've planned to fly to the informal AOPA webboard meeting twice before and had to cancel at the last minute.
 
TeenDoc said:
Hey Toby, when are you flying out to Gaston's? I've planned to fly to the informal AOPA webboard meeting twice before and had to cancel at the last minute.
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This just struck me funny. I am picturing a *formal* meeting of that group :eek:
 
TeenDoc said:
Hey Toby, when are you flying out to Gaston's? I've planned to fly to the informal AOPA webboard meeting twice before and had to cancel at the last minute.
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Gil, it's the weekend of June 10/11, but I'm planning to get there Friday, the 9th, so will leave here on the 8th. You must come!!!

I can't believe I'm saying this. Folks, I am NOT committing myself to flying out there in my plane, just exploring the idea.
 
Back to charts for a minute...

When I need a slew of charts I order them from a discounter. From Long Island I would probably use joepilot.com, which is part of the Airways FBO at Lancaster PA. Sectionals are $6 each, with shipping $5 (ie not worth it if you only order one or two). Westerners have the option of mypilotstore.com which sells the Sectionals for $7.25 with free shipping from somewhere near Phoenix. I've had good service from both places.

Jon
 
4CornerFlyer said:
When I need a slew of charts I order them from a discounter. From Long Island I would probably use joepilot.com, which is part of the Airways FBO at Lancaster PA. Sectionals are $6 each, with shipping $5
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Thank you, Joe. I'll try them.
 
Toby said:
Gaston's. You wanna come?
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Oh. If that's the purpose let me simplify the problem--besides a few low ridges (Alleghany Mountains) nothing but a whole lot of flatland between you and there.:rofl:
 
Ed Guthrie said:
Toby, now that I've had my chance at the smart aleck response, go here for relief maps of the entire US (bottom of the page):

http://www.birrell.org/andrew/reliefMaps/
Click to expand...
You beat me to it. When Toby mentioned she wanted to see the topography I was thinking USGS maps. Available in WAC size down to 1/4 quadrants. Your local college library or moutaineering store should have them.
 
Well Ed, looks like we will be a formation of 3 atleast, only thing is you'll have to pull power on the mooney to stay slow enough for us. Dave G.
 
The online and computerized planning is really effective, but I just get a thrill at laying out sectionals on the floor, taping them together, and drawing a big, orange line from here to there. If I told you I never made airplane noises while I was doing it, would you believe me?

Even when I am filing IFR and have the IFR-Low charts, I still feel I need (and definitely want) sectionals along.
 
Hey Toby,
You could put a "wanted: obsolete charts" in the Classifieds section! I bet you'd get a lot of fun stuff in the mail!

I can send you my obsolete Washington and Detroit charts, if you don't already have 'em. I've also got Philly, D.C. and Cleveland terminal charts. Need any expired New England approach plates? :)

(I still can't get over the fact that my new sectionals have all three colors! green, brown, and white!)

--Kath
 
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