UK Aero Charts bendy?

[J0hn]

Hello Chaps

My first post here so hello to everybody.

As a virtual VFR pilot, I have recently purchased the six 1:250,000 scale aeronautical charts for England and Wales. I currently have them rolled up in map containers as I would only have space to put one on the wall.

Unfortunately this means I rarely actually use them as it's a hassle to get them out and lay them on the double-bed, and of course then impossible to follow from my virtual cockpit.

I'd like to be able to fold them up like a normal map, but I'm worried this will ruin them. I can only imagine that way to use them in a real cockpit, anyway.

So I'd like to know how you guys with a bit more experience of them get around this? :think:

Thanks for your time.
John.

[DaveB]

Hi John and welcome to the nuthouse

I'm pretty sure that VFR pilots would be inclined to use the 1:500 000 Aeronautical charts mate.. not those ultra big jobbies and I believe it is a pre-requisite to carry then on every flight I'm pretty sure you can get your hands on freebie or cut price (out of date) smaller versions but can't remember where unfortunately :roll: If you're serious about flying with bonafide charts.. see if you can't get yourself a couple of the smaller scale (1:500 000) charts.. 2 of which will cover the UK just about ;-) They're still darned big but will fold into a managable size.

EDIT: Ooops.. the forum protocol doesn't like 1:500 000 so let's try 1:500.000
EDIT#2.. nope doesn't like that either. Darth Vader is 3 zero's

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[DispatchDragon]

here Dave try it this way

Half Mill chart

And yes you can RUSSELL up ood charts very cheaply

Leif (In a Punny mood this morning)

[Garry Russell]

I would just scan the bits I want.print out and use those :think:

Garry

[SkippyBing]

John,

I'd say the advice about half mils is spot on, however as you've got them just bare in mind there's more detail on them than in the sim. I use quarter mils (same scale as you've got) that I have left over from work but that's for flying around at 200' which I do try from time to time in FSX but the detail isn't quite there so 1/2 mils are actually fine.
Folding maps is a magic art that I have yet to master, as anyone who's seen me wallpapering the cockpit with Ordnance Survey maps will attest (for flying at 100', and you cross them really quickly). However a good bet is to fold them in half along the long axis, and then into three sections which should allow you to move across it without masses of folding, just flipping a section over. If you've got the laminated ones you can use water soluble markers to draw your route on and then clean it off once you're done.

Skippy

[Techy111]

Welcome mate.......you'll like it here......

Dave B IS Coming to the Dark side 000

Tony

[Hot_Charlie]

Folding maps is a magic art that I have yet to master

Infact, it's the subject of the best part of a 120hr course in the RAF.

[DaveB]

I have a half mil 2171CD (laminated of course) here and that's more than big enough to get in the way but as Skippy said.. it's more than adequate for flightsim use. Cool for navigating via the road network too but for this.. my trusty Super Scale AA Atlas of Great Britain (2001 edition) is just as good ;-)

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[Prop Jockey]

Hi John,

I find the best way to fold charts is to concerteena them - its fairly easy to refold them in a small space then. In the UK I use the half-mil charts (lamenated). I'm afraid folding and re-folding them doesn't do much for them - but as the CAA issue new charts ever year I always have to buy new charts before they fall apart anyway. I can try to provide folding instructions if you're interested - let me know (i'll need to grab one and have a look).

Cheers

Rich

[J0hn]

Thanks for the welcome and the advice - I reckon I'll just fold 'em up like a road map then.

I did think about half mils, but read advice in the CiX VFR site to get the 250's. Seems everyone has a different opinion on that. I use the JF VFR scenery on my VFR flights, I bought their VFR Flights Vol.1, too - and used the AA road book to spot landmarks which wasn't easy! That's why I decided to go along with the quarter mil idea from the CiX tutorial.

As my next project is the Farm Strip circuit for which the scenery has been released, I think the 250's may yet pay off. This is where my RAFMSA rally navigator experience comes to the fore

Cheers all

CHEERS

John