In some countries that is true.
Other countries you have to pay to access the instrument plates and getting the Jepp ones gives you access to everything for a single payment.
The main thing with JEpps and airad etc is the updating service.
AIP is ok if you don't have anything and are happy to print everything off fresh every time you go flying. Which is what I do for my relatively rare private flights in light aircraft IFR.
The log in to prove etc is pointless these days. My log in is from a defunct airline and 30 pilots plus ops used the same login. Most schools have a generic login which every one uses so to be honest the log in rubbish that gets trolled out is pretty much pointless. And as a huge proportion of pilots shun the site it doesn't really mean anything.
Its a bit like the CAA tryng to lock down all the PDF forms to try and make you print them out then sign them and then scan them back in again. 10 seconds and they have been imported into a graphics package another 5 to paste the signature on and 10 secs to print the pdf out again. And then its sent without the huge hassel of trying to find a printer and a scanner which are never avalable when you need one.
Last edited by mad_jock; 22nd August 2012 at 07:28.