Which VFR Flight Guide?
Why do it if it's not fun?
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 4,782
Likes: 12
From: Bournemouth
Have a look at each, and pick the one you prefer.
First of all, look at an airfield you know well, such as the one you did your training at. Which guide's representation of your home airfield do you prefer?
If you only plan on going to licensed or well-known airfields, that should be fine, but if you think you might like to visit the occassional unlicensed strip, have a look through the guides to see which contains more of the strips you're likely to visit.
Then buy whichever you prefer.
FFF
-------------
First of all, look at an airfield you know well, such as the one you did your training at. Which guide's representation of your home airfield do you prefer?
If you only plan on going to licensed or well-known airfields, that should be fine, but if you think you might like to visit the occassional unlicensed strip, have a look through the guides to see which contains more of the strips you're likely to visit.
Then buy whichever you prefer.
FFF
-------------
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,082
Likes: 0
From: SX in SX in UK
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,684
Likes: 3
From: Down at the sharp pointy end, where all the weather is made.
AFE for me, without a doubt. I bought it when they first produced the spiral bound edition, which is just brilliant - open it to the page you need, then it'll lie nice and flat either on the seat beside you (solo) or on your kneeboard. Content is usually pretty up to the mark, in my experience, but every guide by their very nature will be out-of-date even as they are published.
They are as advertised, just guides. I ALWAYS ring airfields I intend to visit just before departure to confirm procedures, frequencies etc. I heard of someone recently who relied on a guide for the airfield frequency, which had changed. Very embarrassing and potentially quite dangerous!
Cheers,
TheOddOne
They are as advertised, just guides. I ALWAYS ring airfields I intend to visit just before departure to confirm procedures, frequencies etc. I heard of someone recently who relied on a guide for the airfield frequency, which had changed. Very embarrassing and potentially quite dangerous!
Cheers,
TheOddOne
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 664
Likes: 0
From: Yorkshire
Just remember that both can make mistakes or be out of date, and not just with minor strips, either.
For example, the 2006 editions of both Pooleys and AFE show Leeds/Bradford having two operational runways, which hasn't been the case for many months now (no 09/27).
Therefore, whichever you buy, (a) get an amendment service to go with it, and (b) a phone call to your destination before you blast off is never a bad thing !
FF
For example, the 2006 editions of both Pooleys and AFE show Leeds/Bradford having two operational runways, which hasn't been the case for many months now (no 09/27).
Therefore, whichever you buy, (a) get an amendment service to go with it, and (b) a phone call to your destination before you blast off is never a bad thing !
FF
PPruNaholic!
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,615
Likes: 0
From: Buckinghamshire
Another vote for Jeppesen Bottlang from me.
Why? Well firstly they have an approach view on one side, showing the surrounding area ~20NM radius which can sometimes help to get your bearings when trying to identify the field; and secondly the monthly update service is very good. I also like the loose-leaf format which is handy to pop into little A5 plastic sleeves clipped to my kneeboard.
Andy
Why? Well firstly they have an approach view on one side, showing the surrounding area ~20NM radius which can sometimes help to get your bearings when trying to identify the field; and secondly the monthly update service is very good. I also like the loose-leaf format which is handy to pop into little A5 plastic sleeves clipped to my kneeboard.
Andy
Moderator
Joined: Feb 2000
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 14,480
Likes: 178
From: UK
Personally I prefer the looseleaf Pooleys, but it's by a small margin and as much as anything because...
- It's looseleaf
- The pages are a convenient size.
(Plus I quite like the fact that it's now in colour this year).
Frankly there's nothing wrong with any other guide I've ever used so long as they meet those two main criteria. The nicest I've ever used is the RAF Minor Aerodromes guide, but it's scope is limited, and it's a bit difficult to get hold of.
G
- It's looseleaf
- The pages are a convenient size.
(Plus I quite like the fact that it's now in colour this year).
Frankly there's nothing wrong with any other guide I've ever used so long as they meet those two main criteria. The nicest I've ever used is the RAF Minor Aerodromes guide, but it's scope is limited, and it's a bit difficult to get hold of.
G
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 13,787
Likes: 0
From: EuroGA.org
I've used Pooleys for the UK.
For abroad I've used the Jeppesen Bottlang guides.
I have found Bottlangs in particular to be very inaccurate. Not so much in the airfield diagrams (which let's face it will rarely change) but in stuff like contact phone/fax numbers which are frequently duff, or lead to some automated switchboard with local language announcements and this is true even for major international airports...
All these guides lift their stuff out of the respective national AIPs, so if an airfield has not had Avgas for the last 6 months and has not told anybody, or changed its phone number for the tower, it won't be in the guide either.
Jepp have plans to publish the Bottlangs on CD which is hugely overdue (I carried about 30kg of them on a recent VFR trip, quite ludicrous) but they have been talking about it for years and I suspect they are worried about bootlegging.
For IFR flight one doesn't really need these extensive VFR guides. The Jeppview package contains all that's needed.
For abroad I've used the Jeppesen Bottlang guides.
I have found Bottlangs in particular to be very inaccurate. Not so much in the airfield diagrams (which let's face it will rarely change) but in stuff like contact phone/fax numbers which are frequently duff, or lead to some automated switchboard with local language announcements and this is true even for major international airports...
All these guides lift their stuff out of the respective national AIPs, so if an airfield has not had Avgas for the last 6 months and has not told anybody, or changed its phone number for the tower, it won't be in the guide either.
Jepp have plans to publish the Bottlangs on CD which is hugely overdue (I carried about 30kg of them on a recent VFR trip, quite ludicrous) but they have been talking about it for years and I suspect they are worried about bootlegging.
For IFR flight one doesn't really need these extensive VFR guides. The Jeppview package contains all that's needed.
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,547
Likes: 0
From: Dublin
TJF,
I'm assuming that you are relatively new to flying, because you'd probably have made up your mind already about which one you prefer if you weren't.
If that assumption is correct, then you may not actually need a flight guide. There is a large selection of airports with AIP entries, available for free from the AIS site. If these are the places you are going to go this year, then there is little need for a flight guide; simply print off the AIP entries.
The only extra details you really get from a flight guide are landing fees (frequently wrong or incomplete) and sometimes phone numbers for taxis/hotels. Bottlang has neither which I find really annoying.
While they are not expensive, ask yourself if you really need one? You may not.
dp
I'm assuming that you are relatively new to flying, because you'd probably have made up your mind already about which one you prefer if you weren't.
If that assumption is correct, then you may not actually need a flight guide. There is a large selection of airports with AIP entries, available for free from the AIS site. If these are the places you are going to go this year, then there is little need for a flight guide; simply print off the AIP entries.
The only extra details you really get from a flight guide are landing fees (frequently wrong or incomplete) and sometimes phone numbers for taxis/hotels. Bottlang has neither which I find really annoying.
While they are not expensive, ask yourself if you really need one? You may not.
dp
