Agreed - another important consideration; Tim is receptive to feedback, +ve or -ve and is grateful for constructive suggestions. He already has my 'wish list' (which includes a RW icon, even if it is puke green) :}

Many thanks for all your replies. I was a bit concerned at first about moving away from the traditional CAA charts that I have been using for years. However, there have been so many positive posts about Sky Demon that I'm going to give it a try. (I have been using Sky Demon Light for NOTAMs for ages anyway).:ok:

Regardless of whatever electronic solution you choose, you might not want to do away with the traditional paper charts anyway.

It can be debated whether having paper charts on board is still legally required if you have all the information available electronically (with backups as appropriate), but it is certainly a good idea.

Me personally, I'm not leaving the ground with an appropriate set of paper charts within reach. Despite having a panel-mounted and multiple hand-held GPSs with me.

1.3VStall - can you tell them I introduced you and I'll a free renewal...! :E

BackPacker - it's still a legal requirement to have a hardcopy map with you (even if you haven't looked at one for 10 years) :p

Do you have a reference for that, for any country in Europe?

The UK doesn't need them.

There was a recent lively discussion on another thread regarding - navigation, and the over reliance on one type, or preferred method.

As always, utilise multiple methods, be it point to point with map and compass, to a G1000, and I pad 3 with SD.

Maps are an integral part of aviation navigation, and as pointed out, still a legal requirement, AFAIW.:)

I reckon if you try to back that statement up with any relevant legislation, you'll fail!

It's in the ANO somewhere; I'll dig it out later :ok:

Damn. I said "It can be debated whether having paper charts on board is still legally required", not that we should actually debate it here.:{

There are plenty other threads here on PPRuNe about it.

They are definitely not required here in the UK.

I am also not aware of any European country which requires the carriage of paper charts.

If you think about it, it would not make much sense, because there are so many.

UK: CAA VFR, Jepp VFR/GPS
France: SIA, Cartabossy, IGN, Jepp VFR/GPS
Germany: German ICAO, Jepp VFR/GPS
etc
Most of Europe: Jepp VFR/GPS
Most of the world: US ONC/TPC (last updated 1998 but the only option for some places in the south :) )

For IFR, you have different enroute charts, and several sources of approach plates.

AOC operations will generally specify exactly what needs to be carried, but here we are talking about private flight.

So going fully electronic is legal.

Having said that, common sense needs to come into this. If you go fully electronic, where is your backup for

- device failure
- battery exhaustion
- lack of readability in the "wrong kind of sunlight"

I did a presentation the other day on VFR flying to Europe and I recommended that people plan on, and carry with them, the real printed charts. There is plenty of choice...

I use electronic presentations of the printed charts and normally print out enroute sections as required. The CAA chart lives on the back seat and never moves.

If you go electronic and carry a printed chart as a backup, then why not use the printed chart, and dispense with yet another bl00dy piece of IT gear which packs up when you most need it :)

The ANO schedule 4, section 5 says:

"5. The scales of equipment indicated in the Table at paragraph 4 are as follows:
Scale A
(1)
Spare fuses for all electrical circuits the fuses of which can be replaced in flight, consisting of 10 per cent of the number of each rating or three of each rating, whichever is the greater.
(2)
Maps, charts, codes and other documents and navigational equipment necessary, in addition to any other equipment required under this Order, for the intended flight of the aircraft including any diversion which may reasonably be expected."

Which implies it doesn't have to be a hard copy (although I suspect that was the intention as this was written before cheap GPS units proliferated. As someone said, it wouldn't be smart to rely on GPS though...

Since it's now a legal requirement to have a current chart for VFR flight in France, can that also be electronic?

TTB

Where is the actual wording?

I can get it professionally translated ;)

Oh dear, here we go...

I noticed it here.

I'm not sure that pilotwarehouse is an authoritative source :)

Hmmm... not so sure. The official French charts are the 1:1M SIA ones, not the 1:500k IGN ones referred to in that advert.

The IGN ones got a bad name in ~2003 when they failed to show the nuclear power station prohibited zones for about 2 years. Also they show no airspace above 5000ft AGL which, given the freedom in France to fly VFR to FL115, is pretty limiting. I used to fly with them.... pretty but not much good.