Aeronautical Chart Users’ GuideChart Users’ Guide · 9 July 2026
Front Matter
4 pagesPages 3–5
- Federal Aviation
- Administration
- Aeronautical Information Services Aeronautical Chart
- Users’ Guide Effective as of 9 July 2026
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................ 3
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 6
KEEP YOUR CHARTS CURRENT .............................................................................................6
EFFECTIVE DATE OF CHART USERS’ GUIDE AND UPDATES...............................................6
COLOR VARIATION ....................................................................................................................6
REPORTING CHART DISCREPANCIES ....................................................................................6
WHAT’S NEW? ..................................................................................................... 8
VFR CHARTS..............................................................................................................................8
IFR ENROUTE CHARTS ............................................................................................................8
TERMINAL PROCEDURE PUBLICATION (TPP) .......................................................................8
EXPLANATION OF VFR TERMS AND SYMBOLS ............................................ 10
WATER FEATURES (HYDROGRAPHY) ..................................................................................10
LAND FEATURES (TERRAIN) AND OBSTRUCTIONS ............................................................10
LAND FEATURES - MOUNTAIN PASSES ................................................................................13
RADIO AIDS TO NAVIGATION .................................................................................................14
AIRPORTS ................................................................................................................................14
AIRSPACE.................................................................................................................................16
FOREIGN AREAS .....................................................................................................................19
TERMINAL AREA CHART (TAC) COVERAGE .........................................................................20
INSET AND SPECIAL CHART COVERAGE .............................................................................20
CHART TABULATIONS .............................................................................................................20
VFR SECTIONAL AND TERMINAL AREA CHARTS ........................................ 23
AIRPORTS ................................................................................................................................23
RADIO AIDS TO NAVIGATION .................................................................................................25
AIRSPACE INFORMATION .......................................................................................................26
NAVIGATIONAL AND PROCEDURAL INFORMATION ............................................................32
CULTURE ..................................................................................................................................34
HYDROGRAPHY ......................................................................................................................37
RELIEF ......................................................................................................................................40
VFR FLYWAY PLANNING CHARTS .................................................................. 43
GENERAL INFORMATION........................................................................................................43
AIRPORTS ................................................................................................................................43
RADIO AIDS TO NAVIGATION .................................................................................................43
AIRSPACE INFORMATION .......................................................................................................44
NAVIGATIONAL AND PROCEDURAL INFORMATION ............................................................47
CULTURE ..................................................................................................................................48
BOUNDARIES ...........................................................................................................................48
HYDROGRAPHY ......................................................................................................................48
RELIEF ......................................................................................................................................48
TABLE OF CONTENTS
HELICOPTER ROUTE CHARTS ........................................................................ 50
GENERAL INFORMATION........................................................................................................50
AIRPORTS ................................................................................................................................50
RADIO AIDS TO NAVIGATION .................................................................................................51
AIRSPACE INFORMATION .......................................................................................................52
NAVIGATIONAL AND PROCEDURAL INFORMATION ............................................................55
CULTURE ..................................................................................................................................56
CARIBBEAN VFR AERONAUTICAL CHARTS (CAC) ...................................... 58
AIRSPACE .......................................................................................................... 60
EXPLANATION OF IFR ENROUTE TERMS ...................................................... 63
AIRPORTS ................................................................................................................................63
RADIO AIDS TO NAVIGATION .................................................................................................65
AIRSPACE INFORMATION .......................................................................................................67
INSTRUMENT AIRWAYS ..........................................................................................................68
FOREIGN AREAS .....................................................................................................................73
TERRAIN CONTOURS ON AREA CHARTS .............................................................................73
AIRPORTS ................................................................................................................................75
IFR ENROUTE LOW / HIGH ALTITUDE SYMBOLS (U.S., PACIFIC AND ALASKA
CHARTS) ............................................................................................................ 75
RADIO AIDS TO NAVIGATION .................................................................................................76
AIRSPACE INFORMATION .......................................................................................................81
NAVIGATIONAL AND PROCEDURAL INFORMATION ............................................................94
CULTURE ..................................................................................................................................95
HYDROGRAPHY ......................................................................................................................95
TOPOGRAPHY .........................................................................................................................95
U.S. TERMINAL PROCEDURES PUBLICATION .............................................. 97
EXPLANATION OF TPP TERMS AND SYMBOLS ...................................................................97
INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURE CHART .................................................................98
PLANVIEW ..............................................................................................................................105
PROFILE VIEW .......................................................................................................................116
LANDING MINIMUMS .............................................................................................................120
AIRPORT DIAGRAMS ............................................................................................................122
DEPARTURE PROCEDURES (DPs) ......................................................................................124
STANDARD TERMINAL ARRIVAL (STARs) CHARTS ............................................................125
CHARTED VISUAL FLIGHT PROCEDURE (CVFP) CHARTS ...............................................126
U.S. TERMINAL PROCEDURES PUBLICATION SYMBOLS ......................... 127
GENERAL INFORMATION......................................................................................................127
PLANVIEW SYMBOLS............................................................................................................127
PROFILE VIEW .......................................................................................................................129
STANDARD TERMINAL ARRIVAL (STAR) CHARTS ..............................................................130
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DEPARTURE PROCEDURE (DP) CHARTS...........................................................................131
AIRPORT DIAGRAM/AIRPORT SKETCH ..............................................................................132
APPROACH LIGHTING SYSTEM...........................................................................................133
REFERENCES .................................................................................................. 136
ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................. 138