Originally Posted by
TheOddOne
It's a no-brainer for me to have a current chart stuffed in the seat-back. It's £15.99 for a 1/2 mil or as another poster said an Air Million for the same price covers the whole country. I don't think it gets unfolded between editions expiring but you know you're covered for sure.
TOO
If it doesn't get unfolded between editions then after about 28 days it's no longer current and technically does not fulfil the requirements of the law anymore. I don't think anyone has ever been busted for that, but according to the strict letter of the law you should amend the chart every AIRAC cycle. Jeppesen had a web page with the amendments to the old Jeppesen VFR charts, and other paper chart providers should have a similar process. (But I admit I've never tried to find it for the CAA, DFS or LVNL charts.)
The tedious paper chart update process has been an argument towards EASA to allow and actually encourage the use of electronic charting solutions - updating an electronic database is a process that just takes a few seconds and is normally done automatically.
But I admit I spend the 15 quid each year as well. The most important reason is that the chart, when unfolded, give me a much better overview of the whole route that I'm planning than SD can ever give me. After all, SD is limited by the size of my iPad screen. But once the route is planned and entered into SD, the only remaining aviation-related use of the chart is as a fly swatter.