With a bit of patience, you will eventually learn to make the most out of all the information that a sectional chart offers. Learning to read a sectional chart isn’t just for your safety – it’s for the safety of all other aircraft in the national airspace, as well as the people on the ground.
Aside from points of interest, sectional charts also provide guidance for pilots to avoid obstacles and to fly above constantly changing terrain. The most prevalent indicators of the terrain are contour lines or the shaded relief map, either of which may act as the base map for the sectional chart. Contour lines connect points of equal elevation.
If you which to plot a Compass course on your chart instead of a Magnetic course, you need add the ship's deviation from the table. We designate compass courses with a C at the end instead of an M, e.g. "C 092 C" denotes a compass course of 092.
The most prevalent indicators of the terrain are contour lines or the shaded relief map, either of which may act as the base map for the sectional chart. Contour lines connect points of equal elevation.
0:353:58VFR Nav Log (Video 2) True Course and Distance - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBetween each of these waypoints. So to do this you need to get out your plotter. And you need toMoreBetween each of these waypoints. So to do this you need to get out your plotter. And you need to line it up with the course line that you drew on the chart.
0:353:07Private Pilot-Plotting a Course - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipMake sure the plotter is lined up with the longitudinal line on the sectional. As. You can see if weMoreMake sure the plotter is lined up with the longitudinal line on the sectional. As. You can see if we follow the longitudinal. Line through the course plotter to the outer scale.
Step 2: Know the Latitude and Longitude A quadrant on a sectional chart is the area bounded by ticked lines dividing each 30 minutes of latitude and each 30 minutes of longitude.
5:2511:05Latitude and Longitude - Sectional Charts - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo a line of latitude is shown halfway between 30 and 31 degree lines. This represents the latitudeMoreSo a line of latitude is shown halfway between 30 and 31 degree lines. This represents the latitude of 30 degrees in 30 minutes now.
4:376:25How To Use The Plotter From Live Training Tuesday - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe first thing I'm going to do is get that line of longitude lined up with the zero. This line inMoreThe first thing I'm going to do is get that line of longitude lined up with the zero. This line in the center. And I'm making sure that the bottom ruler. Part is on the route that I'll be traveling.
1:285:36Using the Navigational Plotter - Example 1 - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd you want to use your plotter. And remember you want to use the nautical scale. That is on theMoreAnd you want to use your plotter. And remember you want to use the nautical scale. That is on the sectional kanui that the sectional scale this is the sectional.
Latitude and longitude are broken into degrees, minutes, seconds and directions, starting with latitude. For instance, an area with coordinates marked 41° 56' 54.3732” N, 87° 39' 19.2024” W would be read as 41 degrees, 56 minutes, 54.3732 seconds north; 87 degrees, 39 minutes, 19.2024 seconds west.
A degree is 1/360 of the arc of a circle, a minute is 1/60 of a degree, and a second is 1/60 of a minute. 1º = 60' = 3600'' 1 degree = 60 minutes = 3600 seconds. If you specify your location in decimal degrees, then the fraction of the degree remains as a decimal: HDD.DDDDº 92.755º
Degrees, minutes and seconds are denoted by the symbols °, ', ". e.g. 10° 33' 19" means an angle of 10 degrees, 33 minutes and 19 seconds . A degree is divided into 60 minutes (of arc), and each minute is divided into 60 seconds (of arc).
You may notice that the base and ceiling of the innermost area is again defined by the same type of symbol, indicating that Class C airspace starts at the surface and extends to 4600 feet. The base varies on the west side (2400 feet) and the east side (2100 feet).
On VFR sectional charts the Maximum Elevation Fig- ure (MEF) gives pilots an obstruction-free altitude. The MEF is determined by rounding the highest elevation (or obstruction height) within the quadrangles of lati- tude and longitude to the next 100-foot level.
2:0515:20How to find Latitude and Longitude - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo we're always going to start with our latitude we're gonna find 30 degrees north which is here andMoreSo we're always going to start with our latitude we're gonna find 30 degrees north which is here and then we're gonna follow a lot the line along here and match up with our longitude. So we're at zero
Sectional charts are an invaluable tool for situational awareness and flight planning. Whether you’re flying professionally or for fun, checking out a sectional chart must be part of your pre-flight procedures if you don’t want to end up hitting a flight restriction when you’re already out on the field.
A quadrant is an area defined by a boundary within 30 minutes latitude and 30 minutes longitude.
Class G, or uncontrolled airspace, is the least restrictive of all airspace types. Since it’s not under the jurisdiction of any ATC facility, there is no need to secure any authorization to fly in Class G airspace. This type of airspace is not explicitly marked in sectional charts.
It follows, then, that the extent of Class C airspace is likely smaller than Class B airspace.
The location of every point on the planet can be determined by latitude and longitude coordinates as defined by an imaginary grid pattern. To easily remember the difference between the latitude and longitude, we must first define the location of the equator and the prime meridian.
If you feel the same way, don’t worry – sectional charts are still somewhat confusing even for experienced drone pilots. With a bit of patience, you will eventually learn to make the most out of all the information that a sectional chart offers.
The charts have a scale of 1:500,000 (1 inch = 6.86 nautical miles (NM) or approximately 8 statute miles (SM)), which allows for more detailed information to be included on the chart.
To express the location of a point, one must use both latitude and longitude, for example New York is approximately located at 40º North (of the equator), 74º West (of the Greenwich meridian). To pinpoint a precise point on Earth, we need more accuracy than a degree of latitude or longitude.
The easiest way to remember the difference between latitude and longitude is by associating the terms with different parts of a ladder. Lines of latitude run east and west. Think of the rungs of a ladder (which sounds somewhat similar to latitude) which run parallel to the equator.
The charts provide an abundance of information, including airport data, navigational aids, airspace, and topography. By referring to the chart legend, a pilot can interpret most of the information on the chart.
They are used to measure degrees of latitude north (N) or south (S) of the equator. The latitude of the equator is 0°. Meridians of longitude are drawn from the North Pole to the South Pole and are at right angles to the Equator.
What's the best way to plot a course from the bottom half (back) to the top half (front) of a sectional chart? I don't remember covering the techniques in ground school nor do I remember reading about it during my home study course. The obviously easy way is to just have two sectionals or get a true course from an online or computerized resource - however, I am looking for the pen and paper way - using only the one sectional chart. My course is from KPIA to KFDL and the flight plan requested per my examiner should be a straight line course from point a to point b to show my skills in planing a long distance flight based on dead reckoning and pilotage..
The method for doing this is explained on each sectional chart. Look on the back of the legend/header page -- complete with diagrams on how to do it.
The method for doing this is explained on each sectional chart. Look on the back of the legend/header page -- complete with diagrams on how to do it.
A little blurry, but here are the directions. This is a good question to ask a cocky student prepping for a practical test. It's one of those gems, like the information tucked away in the back of the A/FD that most pilots don't know about.
What's the best way to plot a course from the bottom half (back) to the top half (front) of a sectional chart? I don't remember covering the techniques in ground school nor do I remember reading about it during my home study course.
Aviation sectional charts (maps) and databases used for air navigation are based on true north and south because the planetary rotational poles do not change location on the landscape anywhere near as much as do the magnetic poles. That said, low-tech ways of identifying true north or south include waiting for noon with a stick in the ground to judge the shortest shadow, or waiting for a clear night in order to consult a pole star. By contrast, with a low-tech magnetic compass, one can identify magnetic north or south at any time, hence the presence of a magnetic compass in every cockpit, even today in the GPS era. When onboard electronics fail, pilots can still rely on paper charts and Edwardian-era instruments such as a magnetic compass. There is still the need to convert magnetic to true, however. Sectional charts indicate by dashed magenta lines the number of degrees variation between true and magnetic at any local vicinity as of the printing of that chart. Since the true locations of the magnetic poles meander over time, occasionally quite dramatically, charts and databases are required to be updated at least twice each year. Another reason for frequent chart updates is construction (new tall radio towers, runway renovation, etc.).
This angle varies depending on position on the Earth's surface and changes over time . Somewhat more formally, Bowditch defines variation as “the angle between the magnetic and geographic meridians at any place, expressed in degrees and minutes east or west to indicate the direction of magnetic north from true north.
In this example, the declination is 14°E (+14°), so the compass card points to a "north" 14 degrees to the East of true North. To obtain a true bearing, add 14 degrees to the bearing shown by the compass.
For a location closer to the pole like Ivujivik, the declination may change by 1 degree every three years. This may be insignificant to most travellers, but can be important if using magnetic bearings from old charts or metes (directions) in old deeds for locating places with any precision.
In most areas, the spatial variation reflects the irregularities of the flows deep in the Earth; in some areas, deposits of iron ore or magnetite in the Earth's crust may contribute strongly to the declination.
The magnetic declination in a given area may (most likely will) change slowly over time, possibly as little as 2–2.5 degrees every hundred years or so, depending upon how far from the magnetic poles it is. For a location closer to the pole like Ivujivik, the declination may change by 1 degree every three years.
Longitude is similar to latitude but it is measured vertically (east - west) from the meridian line that runs through Greenwich, England. The longitude range runs from 0° - 180°. The meridian that is on the opposite side of the globe from Greenwich is known as the International Date Line and is 180° from Greenwich.
The Breton Plotter has a compass rose and different lines that can be used for navigation on a chart. At its simplest it is a pair of parallel lines so you can slide it around the chart as you do your calculations.
The shifting of the magnetic pole is known as ‘ Variation ’. Variation is predictable and using your chart’s compass rose you can find the Variation every year for a given location. This might be 7 degrees West for example. In that case, in order to head due North you would have to adjust your course by 7 degrees East.
You count the miles and from there gauge how long the day’s sailing will take. A 10 mile route might take a couple of hours while a 20 mile route may take 4-6 depending on the conditions and whether you’re only out to get to the destination or to enjoy the journey itself.