The Chart Clinic – Ninth in a Series

which has a latitude and longitude is plotted at database, leaving a few miles as a buffer will
precisely the exact location where it exists on ensure that you stay away from protected
the earth. airspace.
So-called “attribute” information about a In the illustration below, a straight line from the
facility, such as frequencies, identifiers and Paris Municipal (Arkansas) Airport to the Fort
names, are moved away from the VOR so that Smith Regional Airport will pass just north of
the attributes can easily be read. Other excep- restricted area R-2401A and B and R-2402.
tions? When the missed approach point is on Since both airports and the restricted areas are
the end of the runway, the small triangle used precisely plotted, there is an assurance that you
BY JAMES E. TERPSTRA to depict the MAP in the plan view will be will stay north of the restricted areas. From a
SR. CORPORATE VICE PRESIDENT, JEPPESEN moved slightly toward the FAF so it can be practical standpoint, it might be smart to go
read. Otherwise, the runway symbol would cut direct from Paris to the Wizer NDB. This route

I t’s pretty obvious that the shortest distance up the triangle so badly that it wouldn’t be will go even further north of the restricted areas
between two points is a straight line. When easily discernible. and place you over the final approach fix to
flying, one can argue whether that is a runway 25 at Fort Smith.
What all this accuracy really means is that a
geodesic line, a great circle line, and whether
straight line drawn on a Jeppesen chart can be
or not either one of those is accomplished by
drawing a straight line on a piece of paper. And
used to determine if a direct route will avoid VORs for Direct Route
airspace such as Class B airspace, restricted
when that flat piece of paper represents a
areas, prohibited areas, etc. Because Jeppesen
Navigation
portion of our round world, it becomes even One of the most common means for flying
uses the Lambert Conformal Conic projection
more interesting – and maybe a bit confusing. direct routes is to use conventional navigation
for the enroute charts, a straight line is as close
But the real challenge is to make the shortest such as VORs. When flying direct off-airway
as possible to a geodesic line (better than a
distance a reality – in a world of airways that zig routes, remember to apply the FAA distance
great circle route.) The closer that your route is
zag across the country. limitations. The FAA has established an opera-
to the two standard parallels of 33° and 45° on
tional service volume for each class of VHF
Do you have to fly the airways? What about the chart, the better your straight line. There
navaid to ensure adequate signal coverage and
altitudes on your own direct routes? What are cautions, however. Placing our round earth
frequency protection from other navaids on
about radar coverage? What about communi- on a flat piece of paper will cause distortions,
the same frequency. The maximum distances
cations coverage? What about GPS? particularly on long east-west routes. If your
vary with the altitudes to be flown. When using
route is 180° or 360°, there is virtually no
VORs for direct route navigation, the maximum
Off-Airway Navigation distortion in the course line.
distances between navaids specified with the
There are a number of ways to create shorter About the only way to precisely determine if appropriate altitudes are as follows:
routes and fly off the airways. Two series of you have accurately flown adjacent to the
Jeppesen charts can be used to draw direct restricted airspace is by the use of some of the Below 18,000’ 800NM
routes. The easiest is the RNAV enroute series airborne Jeppesen GPS databases which 14,500’ to 17,999’ using H class navaids 200NM
which uses 11 charts to cover the entire U.S. In include a graphic display of the airspace on the 18,000’ to FL450 260NM
the next article, we will discuss the RNAV GPS receiver display. But, from a practical Above FL450 200NM
enroute charts and concentrate this month on standpoint when not using an airborne
the conventional IFR charts.
The Jeppesen low and high altitude enroute
charts can also be used to create direct routes.
However, many of the charts do not share the
same scale as the adjacent chart, so a straight
line is virtually impossible to use as a direct
route for long distances. On the high altitude
charts, the west half of the U.S. is charted at the
same scale of 40 nautical miles to the inch. In
the east half, the scale is 25 miles to the inch so
it is possible to plot longer distances on the
high charts.

Precision Plotting
Are Jeppesen charts plotted accurately enough
to draw a direct route that can be flown?
Generally speaking, yes. If the charts were not
plotted accurately, a straight line drawn adja-
cent to a restricted area may in fact penetrate
the restricted area. Jeppesen uses a computer
graphic system which generates and maintains
the charts. The computer graphic system uses
the same navigation database that is the basis
for most airborne FMS and GPS databases.
Because of this compatibility, all information
There are times when ATC will initiate a direct
route that exceeds the stated distances. When
that happens, ATC will provide radar monitor-
No More Games.
ing and navigational assistance as necessary.

GPS for Direct Route

Navigation
The use of GPS for direct route navigation has
made the job of flying direct much easier. Most
handheld GPSs, as well as all panel mount GPS
receivers, have a navigation database, so the
entry of destinations as well as waypoints is
simply a matter of knowing the identifier of the
place you want to go.
The FAA acknowledges there is an “increasing
use of self-contained airborne navigational sys-
tems which do not rely on the VOR/
VORTAC/TACAN system.” When filing for long
direct routes using GPS and not the VOR
navaids, the routes will be approved only in a
radar environment. In this case, you are
responsible for navigating on your direct route.
ATC is there for ATC purposes, not for provid-
ing navigation.

GPS as a Substitute Actual screen shot - NEW 172 panel.

The FAA recently issued a notice announcing
that GPS can be used as a substitute for all Jeppesen FS-200 Flight Simulator
DMEs and NDBs in the United States. This has Tired of adding the mouse pointer to your instrument scan? With the Windows 95 FS-200, you can stow that mouse and focus on real
many interesting implications. Let’s assume flying. Our Basic Package at only $924.95 includes a realistic control console, rudder pedals, and yoke so you can fly your simulator just
like you fly an aircraft, with your hands on the controls rather than on a keyboard or mouse. Our competition will ask you to spend over
ATC asked you to report passing the CHARR twice as much for the same realism.
Intersection southeast of Fort Smith VOR on Experience the challenge of the world’s most difficult approaches right on your own PC. Unlike other PC-based simulators on the market,
the airway. Using the VOR to navigate on the the FS-200 comes with a full worldwide Jeppesen NavData database at no extra charge.
105° radial, when the GPS reads 16 miles from Someday real flying may be as easy as a video game, but until then save your mouse and keyboard skills for the office.
FSM, you would be at the CHARR intersection. NEW! Cessna 172 panel and full worldwide database included!
The GPS distance from FSM would be legal as • True 32-bit Windows 95 application • Super-realistic instrument failures
the formation. From a more practical stand- • 1024 x 768 resolution panel • Full width out-the-window view • On-screen help menu
• Flexible and powerful map screen • Practice with actual ATC clearances
point, it would be easier to enter CHARR in the • Variable ceilings, weather and visibility • Two versions of Bonanza A-36 panel
GPS receiver and have the intersection called Basic Package JT203010 $924.95 (shown)
from the database. In this case, the GPS would Advanced Package FS-200AC FAA Approved
continuously read the distance to go to (Cirrus yoke and console with Package (Call for details)
realistic throttle quadrant) JT203030 $3099.00
CHARR, and the GPS would also continuously JT203020 $1899.00
provide the time to get there.
Minimum System Requirements: IBM or compatible PC using a Pentium 100MHz proces-
The GPS is now authorized to navigate to and sor, Windows 95, 24 MB system RAM, 20 MB of hard drive space, 15” SVGA monitor, 2 MB video RAM, color
SVGA card and Soundblaster-compatible sound card.
from an NDB and to determine when you are
over the NDB position. For the direct route To order risk free call 1-800-621-5377
Western Hemisphere: 303-784-4274 • FAX: 303-784-4153 • www.jeppesen.com
from Paris, Arkansas, to the Wizer NDB, the
Eastern Hemisphere: +49 69 96 12 48 51 • FAX: +49 69 96 12 48 99 • [email protected]
GPS can be used for both navigating and deter-
mining position, but the coordinates for the ®

Wizer NDB must be retrieved from the GPS

airborne database. Additionally, the database
must be current. One of the nice features of
this authorization is that the Wizer NDB could remains for the ADF. It is still required to shoot James E. Terpstra is senior
be out of service and the GPS could still be an NDB approach which has not been corporate vice president, flight
used to fly to the NDB’s location. approved as an overlay approach. Also, this information technology at
authorization is good only for the U.S. Jeppesen. His ratings include
Very important – in order to be authorized to ATP, single and multi-engine,
substitute the GPS for NDBs and DMEs, the airplane and instrument flight
In the next issue, we will look at some of the
GPS avionics must be approved for terminal IFR instructor. His 6,000+ hours
RNAV charts, the high altitude enroute charts,
operations. This new authorization essentially include 3,200 instructing.
and some charts outside the United States.
deletes the requirement for an ADF receiver to be For comments, please Email:
in the airplane. There is one use that still [email protected]