Paper vs LED

[Matthew]

A couple days ago someone asked if I had any old paper sectionals she could use for a school project for her grandkids.

I found a handful to donate, but I kept 2. One was the sectional I used on my long student solo XC back in 2005. All marked up on both sides with my course, landmarks, and mileage tickmarks. Brought back a lot of good memories.

The other is a WAC chart. I used it a lot for XC planning because of the “big picture” it provides. Now I’m getting ready for my IR cross country and using a tablet and scrolling around on it is way less fulfilling than spreading that WAC out on the kitchen table.

 

[Pilawt]

The smell of ink from a new chart being unfolded for the first time was intoxicating.

I loved WAC charts. In the old days the rule of thumb was that WAC charts were intended for aircraft cruising at 180 knots or better, but I used them anyway for long trips.

 

[Matthew]

I opened up a WAC like when I was a kid looking at the Sears Christmas catalog. It was full of wonderful things.

 

[tspear]

Now I’m getting ready for my IR cross country and using a tablet and scrolling around on it is way less fulfilling than spreading that WAC out on the kitchen table.

Get a projector, and the following paint: https://www.lowes.com/pl/Dry-erase-paint-Craft-paint-supplies-Paint/4294696063
And you can replicate the experience on a wall. Older versions of the paint even come with that nice chemical smell, and you can always leave open some markers to replicate it if the VOCs from the paint are too low.

Tim

 

[woodchucker]

I opened up a WAC like when I was a kid looking at the Sears Christmas catalog. It was full of wonderful things.

Sympathies towards your CFI / DPE when asked to review the flight plan you mapped out

 

[Plano Pilot]

I have a sectional from 1969 that my Dad drew lines on. Ennis TX to DAL and TUL. I also have nautical charts that the previous owner of my boat and later I drew lines on between the Caribbean and Florida. They bring back memories, some good some bad. I remember being north of Puerto Rico one night with big following seas. The boat handled it well.

 

[Jim K]

I'm new enough to the game that I probably wouldn't have ever used a paper chart had my cfi not told me to. I'm glad he did; I think there's a lot to be learned there. The ones I bought for training were the only ones though. The benefits of modern efb's are just too strong. Flight planning in a minute or two vs 1/2 hour. All my paper charts have now been repurposed as wrapping paper, which is the only thing I really miss about them.

I have a WAC chat mounted on a piece of foam, suitable for sticking pins in. Pinning new airports in that map is the best part of coming home from a trip. I occasionally just stare at it. The long distance family trips we've taken stand out, and just seeing the route brings back all those memories.

 

[guest user]

I started to write about how nice paper charts were, compared to tablet based, but the more I thought about it, the less well the argument went. It is cool to go back and see where you marked one up, but beyond that, not really much to add for the paper charts.

Some quick areas that went "you know, now that you mention it...":

- If you're near an edge of the paper chart you either had to flip it to the other side, or open another chart completely.

- If you were near a chart edge, you had to have multiple charts that you had to keep updated.

- Unless you carried a magnifying glass, there was no good way to zoom in on any text (important as you get older).

- While it could display a large area, again, half of an area was always on the other side of the chart.

- Folding the map back up. Yes, it was doable, but rarely correctly on the first attempt.
----------

So while the time learning using paper was useful and I feel comfortable with paper, I hope we never regress and have to exclusively use them again.

 

[midlifeflyer]

My last paper chart was about now, 12 years ago. Sorry, this old guy hasn't missed anything about them.

The only thing I would use them for is ground training because spreading them out on a table to look at features and symbols beats a tête-à-tête over the screen of a Mini.

Even that is changing. I can cast the Mini to a big screen. And we can even look a featured and symbols not shown in the local sectional.

 

[Dana]

So while the time learning using paper was useful and I feel comfortable with paper, I hope we never regress and have to exclusively use them again.

In a similar vein I started my engineering career drawing lines on paper with a pencil. Now everything is CAD and although it's pleasant to pull out the drafting instruments (once a year or less), I wouldn't want to go back.

When I got back into flying about 15 years ago I downloaded and printed paper charts at first... and never really used them.

 

[Matthew]

Normal flight planning for me is on the tablet or phone. It’s the “what if” where I really like the paper better.

“What if I wanted to go somewhere I haven’t been before?” Lay open that paper, close my eyes and point. I’m about to plan my IR xc and I’ll probably pull out that old WAC, get out my old protractor, and start looking at all the airports within some radius. I have a hard time doing that on a small screen.

One of my student XCs took me to an airport on a different sectional. Back in those days I was all paper. I had to draw the line from my airport, move to the back side of the sectional, and then onto the next chart. Kids these days don’t know the struggle.

I keep a paper sectional with me. Sometimes I’ll take a buddy along that’s never flown before and hand him the paper chart so he can follow along and know where we are.

Good times.

 

[Doug Reid]

I love my EFB, but I never had a chart shutdown in flight, or overheat.

I took a friend on a long flight a few years ago and as soon as we lifted off, he picked up my chart, unfolded it right in front of my field of vision. So much for following my course line

 

[Jim_R]

The great thing about paper charts and maps is the big picture. The FBO where I was first introduced to general aviation had the regional sectionals tacked up on the wall, and it was great to be able to see that whole part of the world at a glance. There was also a "calibrated string" pinned at the home drome location, so it was fun to stretch it out to potential destinations and develop a feel for how far places were and what destinations were likely in range of a single tank or gas, etc. With a couple of extra thumb tacks it was easy to quickly plan out a potential route on the map...presaging the rubber-banding feature that was soon to come electronically....

It's not possible to completely replicate that experience with a small screen (or even a big screen). But aside from that "big picture" aspect, everything else about electronic charts is definitely better.

 

[Jim K]

Normal flight planning for me is on the tablet or phone. It’s the “what if” where I really like the paper better.

“What if I wanted to go somewhere I haven’t been before?” Lay open that paper, close my eyes and point. I’m about to plan my IR xc and I’ll probably pull out that old WAC, get out my old protractor, and start looking at all the airports within some radius. I have a hard time doing that on a small screen.

One of my student XCs took me to an airport on a different sectional. Back in those days I was all paper. I had to draw the line from my airport, move to the back side of the sectional, and then onto the next chart. Kids these days don’t know the struggle.

I keep a paper sectional with me. Sometimes I’ll take a buddy along that’s never flown before and hand him the paper chart so he can follow along and know where we are.

Good times.

I actually like the electronic charts for these features too.... zoom out until the range rings automatically expand to the distance I want to look at, then I can pick an airport within the ring. Works even if I'm looking at "where can I get in 6 hours". Takes a pretty long string to do that on paper.

Ditto for pax.... connect a second tablet to the fs510, and then they have their own moving map.

 

[Pilawt]

- If you're near an edge of the paper chart you either had to flip it to the other side, or open another chart completely.

Before 1968 or so, sectional charts were printed on one side -- 87 sectionals covering the conterminous USA instead of 37 in the new double-sided series. The reverse side was basically the equivalent of today's Chart Supplement and Airport/Facility Directory.

- If you were near a chart edge, you had to have multiple charts that you had to keep updated.

On the pre-1968 charts, the busy Los Angeles Basin was bisected by the border between the Los Angeles and San Diego sectionals. My home field, Fullerton, was just south of the line on the Los Angeles chart, but a handy extension into the margin was provided.

 

[sarangan]

Paper charts are useful for mounting on a wall and admiring from a distance. I have a large VFR planning chart hanging on my wall. It is a nice decoration. I never used it for any aviation purpose.

 

[MooneyDriver78]

I still have paper charts from 10 years ago, for western US I like them when searching for best route through the mountains, after all terrain doesn’t change. I also still have my Caribbean and eastern USA marine charts.

 

[Pilawt]

after all terrain doesn’t change.

Well, once in a while ...

 

[MooneyDriver78]

Well, once in a while ...

View attachment 115278

View attachment 115279

I forgot about volcanoes, you got me there. What’s the dates on those charts?

 

[guest user]

I still have paper charts from 10 years ago, for western US I like them when searching for best route through the mountains, after all terrain doesn’t change.

For something large like mountains, ok, but what about antennas that may have been added? That would be my biggest concern about using dated charts for navigation purposes.

 

[Pilawt]

I forgot about volcanoes, you got me there. What’s the dates on those charts?

1967 (old single-sided chart format) and current. The eruption was in 1980.

 

[lsaway]

25 years ago I moved to a new state. There were no good road maps. I was getting frustrated trying to drive around the crazy freeway system they created. I finally pulled out a sectional to give me a clear picture of the layout of the city. It was my roadmap for awhile.

 

[Jim_R]

25 years ago I moved to a new state. There were no good road maps.

What place in the US big enough to have a freeway didn't have a decent road map 25 years ago?

I know Alaska's like a whole other country, so I might believe that, but CONUS? In 1998??

 

[Pinecone]

The great thing about paper charts and maps is the big picture. The FBO where I was first introduced to general aviation had the regional sectionals tacked up on the wall, and it was great to be able to see that whole part of the world at a glance. There was also a "calibrated string" pinned at the home drome location, so it was fun to stretch it out to potential destinations and develop a feel for how far places were and what destinations were likely in range of a single tank or gas, etc. With a couple of extra thumb tacks it was easy to quickly plan out a potential route on the map...presaging the rubber-banding feature that was soon to come electronically....

It's not possible to completely replicate that experience with a small screen (or even a big screen). But aside from that "big picture" aspect, everything else about electronic charts is definitely better.

They used to print and sell a VFR planning chart. A HUGE chart. Many airports had on on the wall with a sting anchored to that airport. Most times, there was a line with distance hash marks to measure distances.

I agree, paper charts give a better big picture as they are physically larger. I guess I would hook up ForeFlight an 85 inch screen to do the same.

 

[luvflyin]

Before 1968 or so, sectional charts were printed on one side -- 87 sectionals covering the conterminous USA instead of 37 in the new double-sided series. The reverse side was basically the equivalent of today's Chart Supplement and Airport/Facility Directory.

View attachment 115276


On the pre-1968 charts, the busy Los Angeles Basin was bisected by the border between the Los Angeles and San Diego sectionals. My home field, Fullerton, was just south of the line on the Los Angeles chart, but a handy extension into the margin was provided.

View attachment 115277

Did LAX really have a North/South runway then?

 

[Pilawt]

Did LAX really have a North/South runway then?

I'm not sure when 16/34 closed for good. The back of the sectional in 1957 had this note:


The 1967 sectional still depicted 16/34, and the airport directory on the back said LAX had 5 runways. 8L/26R hadn't been built yet, so that had to be 8/26, 7R/25L, 7L/25R, the small GA runway south of the 25s, and 16/34.

The 1969 terminal area chart did not depict 16/34 ...


... but it still showed up on the WAC chart in 1971.