Do you really need to carry VFR charts?

The question on if we are required to have charts or required to have updated charts for some of us is more of an academic question. Here is an interesting response from the FAA FAQ on this topic.

What is the FAA policy for carrying current charts?

The specific FAA regulation, FAR 91.103 "Preflight Actions," states that each pilot in command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar with all available information concerning that flight. Although the regulation does not specifically require it, you should always carry a current chart with you in flight. Expired charts may not show frequency changes or newly constructed obstructions, both of which when unknown could crate a hazard.

The only FAA/FAR requirements that pertain to charts are:


• Title 14 CFR section 91.503[a] (Large and Turbojet powered aircraft)
• Title 14 CFR section 135.83 (Air Carriers-Little Airplane)
• Title 14 CFR section 121.549 (Air Carrier-Big Airplanes)

The FAA's July/August 1997 issue of FAA Aviation News on "current" aeronautical charts provided the following information:

1. "You can carry old charts in your aircraft." "It is not FAA policy to violate anyone for having outdated charts in the aircraft."
2. "Not all pilots are required to carry a chart." "91.503..requires the pilot in command of large and multiengine airplanes to have charts." "Other operating sections of the FAR such as Part 121 and Part 135 operations have similar requirements."
3. ..."since some pilots thought they could be violated for having outdated or no charts on board during a flight, we need to clarify an important issue. As we have said, it is NOT FAA policy to initiate enforcement action against a pilot for having an old chart on board or no chart on board." That's because there is no regulation on the issue.
4. ..."the issue of current chart data bases in handheld GPS receivers is a non-issue because the units are neither approved by the FAA or required for flight, nor do panel-mounted VFR-only GPS receivers have to have a current data base because, like handheld GPS receivers, the pilot is responsible for pilotage under VFR.
5. "If a pilot is involved in an enforcement investigation and there is evidence that the use of an out-of-date chart, no chart, or an out-of-date database contributed to the condition that brought on the enforcement investigation, then that information could be used in any enforcement action that might be taken."

Today is the day for new San Francisco Charts .... what changed?

Approximately every 180 days, new VFR charts are produced. New charts are needed because new obstructions get created, changes may occur to airport information or NAVAIDs, or there may be changes to airspace. Given that these changes don’t wait until the charts are published we also check NOTAMS. There is also another source that provides a list of some of the major changes that have occurred. The AFD, which is updated every 56 days, publishes changes since the last published chart. There is a section titled Aeronautical Chart Bulletin in the AFD that contains the major changes. For the San Francisco sectional chart there are no noted major changes as shown in the excerpt below:

However, take a look at the information listed in the AFD for the Los Angeles TAC. It shows that the El Monte airspace has changed from what is published on the chart. The charted airspace extends to 2,800 MSL whereas this notice amends that to 2,400 MSL. More importantly, the shape has slightly changed as well. The extension beyond the 4 NM radius actually shifted about 30 degrees clockwise in the amendment vs what is charted.. You would think with this change that there would be a NOTAM and FSS would know about this, but when I checked, there were no published NOTAMs and the briefer I talked to was not aware of this change. This change was only confirmed by a call to the airport manager that said in fact they had just received an email from the Tower manager confirming the change was in effect.