Half mil maps
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: 23, Railway Cuttings, East Cheam
Half mil maps
Anyone reckon they've had their day? Personally I like maps of any sort anyway but apart from oddities like me do you think we'll still be buying them in say 5-10 years time if it's not mandatory?
Joined: Oct 2012
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From: UK
I don't expect printed maps to be around in maybe 10 years. The more that pilots use GPS, the less printed maps will be sold, and the cost of producing them will increase. The increased costs will be passed onto customers, which means even less will be sold.
It's the same with newspapers and printed books. Newspaper sales are falling by 10%-30% annually. Which means the cover prices go up faster than inflation to cover costs, and results in the circulations dropping even quicker. Very few newspapers will be around in 10 years time (probably just the Sun and Daily Mail!) and many will have closed within 5 years. Printed book sales fell 9.8% last year as digital sales increased.
The less paper that is used, the more it will cost to manufacture. A wholly paperless society is only a matter of time.
It's the same with newspapers and printed books. Newspaper sales are falling by 10%-30% annually. Which means the cover prices go up faster than inflation to cover costs, and results in the circulations dropping even quicker. Very few newspapers will be around in 10 years time (probably just the Sun and Daily Mail!) and many will have closed within 5 years. Printed book sales fell 9.8% last year as digital sales increased.
The less paper that is used, the more it will cost to manufacture. A wholly paperless society is only a matter of time.
Joined: Oct 2012
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From: UK
Quote:
its not a requirement you have them now onboard. So why would anything change?
Thought you had to carry a current chart or something. Maybe I'm wrong.
its not a requirement you have them now onboard. So why would anything change?
Thought you had to carry a current chart or something. Maybe I'm wrong.
Joined: Dec 2011
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From: Denver/Europe
I prefer to use paper charts. After growing up with MS flight simulator I know one thing for sure: anything with a display on it can and will fail or tell me it has an error of some sort. I will always have paper charts on board... Although I very much appreciated the garmin 100 (hundred) while flying to IFR waypoints somewhere over the Ionian Sea (because there are places on earth where no official charts exist and not even an iPad helps much). 
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Not a million miles from EGTF
I'm astonished anyone even asks that question
Just because there is a technological option that depends on batteries or a power supply people think they can do without a tried and tested analogue alternative.
In many cases it is true, but I've seen systems fail too many times, and, let's face it, when they go down it isn't going to cost you £18 to replace
I do worry that some pilots are so in love with the technology, they are handing over too much control to the systems and fail to remember that it is only a tool.
Anyway - rant over......
Just because there is a technological option that depends on batteries or a power supply people think they can do without a tried and tested analogue alternative.
In many cases it is true, but I've seen systems fail too many times, and, let's face it, when they go down it isn't going to cost you £18 to replace
I do worry that some pilots are so in love with the technology, they are handing over too much control to the systems and fail to remember that it is only a tool.
Anyway - rant over......
Joined: Oct 2011
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From: South-East, United Kingdom
The reason I carry one is 1) it will never crash or run out of batteries 2) sometimes while it's nice to have a de-cluttered view excluding roads, rivers, airfields with a runway <500m etc, if you need a quick sanity check that isn't GPS based, at least you have something that shows it all without having to faff about changing config options. They are also useful as a sanity check while planning as it's easy to hide airspace >xxx on some electronic charts and think you are free to fly wherever you want. However, besides what I said once airborne my paper chart is put down the side of the seat and it generally stays there until I tidy the plane up after landing.
Joined: Oct 2012
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From: UK
Piperarcher, I agree. I carry a printed chart too (for backup), but like every pilot I know, it's not the latest. Mine is 2 years old, and I likely won't be buying a new one this year - although I do have up-to-date electronic versions of the CAA charts on my iPad. The last time I needed a paper chart in flight was a few years ago, but I like to check it thoroughly when planning. As technology develops over the next few years (ie iPad crashes and overheating become less of an issue) the need for printed charts will diminish further. And the CAA will have to succombe to the inevitable at some stage and add GPS usage to the PPL syllabus.
I also use Memory Map for printing sections of up-to-date CAA charts. It's much better than trying to unravel a chart mid-flight.
I also use Memory Map for printing sections of up-to-date CAA charts. It's much better than trying to unravel a chart mid-flight.
Joined: Oct 2007
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From: A better place.
Love maps.
Have three huge French IGN maps of the world framed on the wall at Tartare Towers - in view of the kitchen table.
Tartarettes invariably ask a question or two relating to geography or politics during their dinner.
Take your point Thing, but I'd personally feel very uncomfortable behind perspex at altitude without the carefully folded piece of paper on my lap.
Orientated in the direction of flight of course.
A map with a bullet in it is still a map...
Have three huge French IGN maps of the world framed on the wall at Tartare Towers - in view of the kitchen table.
Tartarettes invariably ask a question or two relating to geography or politics during their dinner.
Take your point Thing, but I'd personally feel very uncomfortable behind perspex at altitude without the carefully folded piece of paper on my lap.
Orientated in the direction of flight of course.
A map with a bullet in it is still a map...
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: 23, Railway Cuttings, East Cheam
Orientated in the direction of flight of course.
Joined: May 2005
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From: Yorkshire
I doubt that paper charts will disappear in the forseeable future, but I can see a time when people navigate primarilly by electronic moving maps, and only carry a 1:1,000,000 scale chart in the aircraft as a backup in case all else fails.
This means that it will be even more important that people are taught basic DR nav during training, as they will get so little practice afterwards.
A growing problem I see now, is people mounting Ipads and such in places where, if their rubber sucker, or other temporary mountings came loose the screen would fall into the controls!
MJ
This means that it will be even more important that people are taught basic DR nav during training, as they will get so little practice afterwards.
A growing problem I see now, is people mounting Ipads and such in places where, if their rubber sucker, or other temporary mountings came loose the screen would fall into the controls!
MJ
Last edited by Mach Jump; 24th March 2014 at 23:16. Reason: Spelling
Avoid imitations
Joined: Nov 2000
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
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From: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Of course I carry paper charts. I tried using an Ipad instead but my chinagraph pencil made one hell of a mess of the screen.
Joined: Sep 2008
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From: dorset
Half mil maps
'Current Chart'. With respect, none of the CAA charts published are current, not even the most recent, unless you update it regularly, which can be done by using the NATS subscription service.
I was quite surprised by the number of changes that get notified by e-mail. My chart would look a mess if I were to scribble them all on it.
Just hope I don't hit a mast that's been erected on a hill top after I bought the latest chart, I doubt it would appear on my ipad....!
I was quite surprised by the number of changes that get notified by e-mail. My chart would look a mess if I were to scribble them all on it.
Just hope I don't hit a mast that's been erected on a hill top after I bought the latest chart, I doubt it would appear on my ipad....!
Joined: May 2013
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From: have I forgotten or am I lost?
I know you'll never see this in england.
in the australian summer heat the gps display vanishes and will not return until you cool the unit down. if you can't cool the unit down you are stuffed.
paper maps work at any temperature in a cockpit.
in the australian summer heat the gps display vanishes and will not return until you cool the unit down. if you can't cool the unit down you are stuffed.
paper maps work at any temperature in a cockpit.