Aeronautical Chart: User Guide
Aeronautical Chart: User Guide
Aeronautical Chart: User Guide
USER GUIDE
Aeronautical Chart User Guide
C-GUIDE0824
Version 3
Change summary
Version Date Change description
Table of contents
1 PURPOSE .................................................................................................................................. 4
2 SCOPE ....................................................................................................................................... 4
3 GENERAL INFORMATION ........................................................................................................ 5
3.1 User responsibilities .................................................................................................................... 5
3.2 Chart types .................................................................................................................................. 6
4 COMMON CHARTING ELEMENTS .......................................................................................... 7
4.1 Chart title ..................................................................................................................................... 7
4.2 Scale bar ..................................................................................................................................... 7
4.3 North indicator............................................................................................................................. 8
4.4 Projection information ................................................................................................................. 8
4.5 Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) ....................................................................................... 9
4.6 Production information .............................................................................................................. 10
4.7 Legend ...................................................................................................................................... 10
4.8 Location map ............................................................................................................................ 10
4.9 Ownership ................................................................................................................................. 11
4.10 Copyright ................................................................................................................................... 11
4.11 Morse code ............................................................................................................................... 11
4.12 Horizontal and vertical datum ................................................................................................... 12
4.13 Conversion scale ...................................................................................................................... 12
5 TOPOGRAPHIC FEATURES................................................................................................... 13
5.1 Hypsometric and bathymetric tints ........................................................................................... 16
6 AERONAUTICAL ATTRIBUTES ............................................................................................. 17
6.1 Aerodromes .............................................................................................................................. 17
6.2 Special use airspace ................................................................................................................. 18
6.3 Air Traffic Services (ATS) ......................................................................................................... 20
6.4 Airways and route symbols ....................................................................................................... 24
6.5 Sports symbols ......................................................................................................................... 28
6.6 Obstacles .................................................................................................................................. 29
6.7 PCA symbology ........................................................................................................................ 30
6.8 Miscellaneous symbology ......................................................................................................... 31
7 AERODROME AND PROCEDURE CHARTS ......................................................................... 31
List of tables
Table 1 – Chart title .......................................................................................................................................... 7
Table 2 – Scale bar ........................................................................................................................................... 7
Table 3 – North indicator ................................................................................................................................. 8
Table 4 – Projection information..................................................................................................................... 8
Table 5 – Production information ................................................................................................................. 10
Table 6 – Location map .................................................................................................................................. 10
Table 7 – Ownership....................................................................................................................................... 11
Table 8 – Copyright ........................................................................................................................................ 11
Table 9 – Morse code ..................................................................................................................................... 11
Table 10 – Conversion scale ......................................................................................................................... 12
Table 11 – Topographic features .................................................................................................................. 16
Table 12 – Aerodromes .................................................................................................................................. 17
Table 13 – Special use airspace.................................................................................................................... 18
Table 14 – NAVAID ......................................................................................................................................... 19
Table 15 – ATS ................................................................................................................................................ 21
Table 16 – Airspace depiction (vertical limits) ............................................................................................ 21
Table 17 – Airspace depictions (vertical limits including SFC) ................................................................. 22
Table 18 – Airways and route symbols ........................................................................................................ 24
Table 19 – LSALT............................................................................................................................................ 25
Table 20 – Sports symbols ............................................................................................................................ 28
Table 21 – Obstacles ...................................................................................................................................... 29
Table 22 – PCA symbology ........................................................................................................................... 30
Table 23 – Miscellaneous symbology .......................................................................................................... 31
Table 24 – RNP AR standards ....................................................................................................................... 34
List of figures
Figure 1 – Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) ......................................................................................... 9
Figure 2 – Reporting points (example 1) ...................................................................................................... 26
Figure 3 – Reporting points (example 2) ...................................................................................................... 26
Figure 4 – Reporting points (example 3) ...................................................................................................... 26
Figure 5 – Intersection waypoint .................................................................................................................. 27
Figure 6 – Profile and plan diagram ............................................................................................................. 33
Figure 7 – Critical obstacle type and position............................................................................................. 34
Figure 8 – General symbology (IAL charts) ................................................................................................. 36
Figure 9 – Aerodrome chart (IAL) ................................................................................................................. 37
Figure 10 – ILS/LOC combined procedures ................................................................................................ 38
Figure 11 – RNAV (GNSS) or RNP non-precision and APV approach procedures ................................. 39
Figure 12 – RNAV (GNSS) or RNP approach procedures .......................................................................... 39
Figure 13 – Minima table and aerodrome lighting ...................................................................................... 40
Figure 14 – Procedure altitude/flight levels ................................................................................................. 41
Figure 15 – Holding pattern ........................................................................................................................... 41
Figure 16 – Conversion table (gradient rate nomograph) .......................................................................... 42
Figure 17 – Conversion table (altitude correction versus temperature #1) ............................................. 43
Figure 18 – Conversion table (altitude correction versus temperature #2) ............................................. 44
1 PURPOSE
This Chart User Guide is an introduction to the Airservices range of aeronautical
charts. It has been designed to be used by new pilots as a learning tool and for
experienced pilots as a quick reference guide.
Airservices publishes several different charting products for use in the various stages of
visual and instrument flight, including training, planning, departure, en route (for low
and high altitudes), approaches and movement at an aerodrome.
2 SCOPE
This guide covers depiction and description of the topographic, cultural, and
aeronautical data elements shown on the following chart types:
En Route Chart High (ERCH)
En Route Chart Low (ERCL)
Planning Chart Australia (PCA)
Terminal Area Chart (TAC)
Visual Navigation Chart (VNC)
Visual Terminal Chart (VTC)
Note: When planning visual navigation outside the coverage of a VTC, pilots will
need to refer to the appropriate VNC (if available), or ERCL for depiction of
controlled airspace and PRD areas.
World Aeronautical Chart (WAC)
Aerodrome and Procedure Charts
Aerodrome Obstacle Charts
Charts produced by Airservices Aeronautical Information Services (AIS) that are not
included in the Integrated Aeronautical Information Package (IAIP) or produced for
internal operational users are not covered by this guide.
3 GENERAL INFORMATION
3.2.1 ERCH
Drawn to various scales to accommodate significant air traffic route areas and show
controlled airspace, prohibited, restricted and danger areas, air routes, ATS and radio
navigation services. Primarily for use by aircraft operating on transcontinental and inter-
capital routes above FL200.
3.2.2 ERCL
Depict similar information to that shown on ERCH up to and including FL200.
Aeronautical information within terminal areas may not be complete and pilots should
use a TAC or VTC.
3.2.3 PCA
Contains meteorological area forecast boundaries and locations, communication
coverage outside controlled airspace and WAC coverage.
3.2.5 VNC
Assists in planning flights in relation to controlled airspace, navigation when nearing
controlled airspace or restricted and danger areas. Scale is 1:500,000.
3.2.6 VTC
Provides both aeronautical and topographical information for VFR operations in the
vicinity of major aerodromes. In some cases, these charts show the details of tracks to
be flown and significant landmarks which are used by pilots of VFR aircraft to avoid
inadvertent penetration of controlled airspace. Scale is 1:250,000.
3.2.7 WAC
These Australian charts are part of the ICAO 1:1,000,000 international series.
Designed for pre-flight planning as well as pilotage, these charts are constructed using
Lambert’s conformal conic projection and conform to ICAO specifications.
4.7 Legend
Symbology for each chart type and other general information is included in the chart
legend.
4.9 Ownership
The custodian of the chart is represented by the organisation logo.
Table 7 – Ownership
4.10 Copyright
A copyright notice or symbol is shown on all charts with instructions for how to seek
permission to reproduce the charts for commercial reasons.
Table 8 – Copyright
5 TOPOGRAPHIC FEATURES
Topographic features are shown on visual charts (VNC, VTC, and WAC) and some
Aerodrome and Procedure Charts. These features identify cultural and natural ground
features, including roads, buildings, urban development, boundaries, railways, power
transmission lines, water features, mountains, and magnetic variation.
The symbols contained may not be published on all visual charts, however where there
is a difference in symbology across different chart types this is identified. Chart specific
information is contained in the legend for each chart.
Feature Symbology Alternate Symbology
Area subject
to inundation
Boundary,
international
Boundary,
state
Building,
homestead,
or post office
Built up area
Cities, towns
and villages
are shown
according to
their relative
importance to
visual air
navigation
Cliff, buff, or
escarpment
Contour
Contour,
approximate
Dual
carriageway
Gas or
Oilfield
Grain storage
Hypsometric
and
Bathymetric
tints
Isolated
offshore rock
Lake, dry
Lake, non-
perennial
(intermittent)
Lake,
perennial
Mangroves
Mine
Other road
Pipeline
Power
transmission
line
Principal road
Railway
Railway
abandoned or
under
construction
Railway with
station or
siding
Retaining
wall, weir,
falls
River, braided
stream
Sand ridges
Sand,
foreshore flat
Secondary
road
Shoal or bank
Spot
elevation
accurate
Spot
elevation
accurate
maximum
Spot
elevation
calculated
maximum
Swamp
Tank
Tidal ledge or
reef
Tower or
mast
Tunnel
Waterhole
Yard
5.1.1 Hypsometry
The measurement of the elevation of the land with respect to sea level.
5.1.2 Bathymetry
The measurement of the depth of water bodies.
5.1.3 Elevation
Elevation on all charts is shown in Feet Above Mean Sea Level (FT AMSL), unless
otherwise noted, e.g., Above Ground Level (AGL).
5.1.4 Contours
Contour lines mark points of equal elevation on a chart. They assist with understanding
the elevation profile of the terrain, i.e., identifying peaks, depressions, cliffs, valleys,
ridgelines, saddles, and ledges.
6 AERONAUTICAL ATTRIBUTES
The amount and type of published aeronautical data varies by chart type. The colour of
the symbology may also vary by chart type.
6.1 Aerodromes
Feature Symbology
ALA – unverified
ALA – verified
Civil – Certified
Military
Water – unverified
Water – verified
Table 12 – Aerodromes
6.1.2 Verified
Airservices has a responsible person registered for the location and associated
information confirmed.
6.1.3 Unverified
Airservices has not been advised of a responsible person for the location. Status and
serviceability are unknown.
Danger Area
Boundary
Fly Neighbourly
Area
PRD Table
Restricted Area
Boundary
Restricted/Danger
- Area too small to
be shown on
chart
Special
Procedures Area
DME
ILS or Localizer
Navigation Box
NDB
TACAN
VOR
Table 14 – NAVAID
Note:
a. An asterisk (*) next to a NAVAID indicates that it is subject to an operating
limitation such as reduced range, bearing fluctuations, terrain shielding etc.
Details of the limitation are listed in ERSA FAC.
b. An asterisk will not be shown to indicate that an aid is pilot monitored.
c. Where there is a VOR/DME co-located with a NDB, the NDB symbol will not be
shown.
d. The ILS/Localizer beam value will only be published if it does not run along a
route.
Class G airspace
Note: Class G exists from SFC to
the base of overlying Class
A, C, D, or E airspace
Class E airspace.
Note: Where LL is BLW FL180
(except where Class C
exists above)
CTA boundary
CTA limits
CTA distances
CTAF
E Frequency boundary
Feature Symbology
FIR boundary
G Frequency boundary
Table 15 – ATS
When depicting airspace vertical limits, "SFC" indicates the lower limit is the surface of
the earth.
IFR Charts IFR (MIL) Charts VFR
6.4.2 LSALT
The LSALT specified for a route segment is only valid for RNP 2 operations. For
operations other than RNP 2 operations, operators and pilots must use a pilot
calculated LSALT or grid LSALT.
The minimum LSALT published is 1,500FT due to lack of data concerning terrain near
sea level. Techniques for calculating LSALT are published in AIP GEN 3.3.
LSALT details for Area Navigation routes are shown in each grid square formed by the
parallels and meridians. The grid is at the intervals shown in Table 19:
Chart Interval
ERCH H1 1°
H2, 3 and 5 2°
H4 4°
ERCL 1°
TAC 1°
Table 19 – LSALT
On IFR charts, some LSALT on one way air routes have an associated direction arrow.
This arrow indicates that the LSALT is only applicable in the direction of the one-way
route, and a LSALT has not been calculated for the opposite direction.
A LSALT without a direction arrow on any air route indicates that the LSALT is the
same in both directions. However, one-way routes should only be flown, in controlled
airspace, in the direction indicated by the route designator box.
On ERC, the LSALT figure is always attached adjacent to the distance “bubble” of the
route to which the LSALT applies.
CAUTION: In areas of chart clutter, these LSALT figures may sometimes cross
adjacent route tracks.
Glider Operations
Hang Glider
Model aircraft
NOTAM
Parachute Jumping
Ultralight
6.6 Obstacles
Symbology
Feature
Verified Unverified
Table 21 – Obstacles
Note:
a. Verified obstacles meet horizontal and vertical accuracy requirements
according to ICAO Area 1 standards.
b. An unverified obstacle has been reported at that location, but not all horizontal
and vertical accuracy requirements as per ICAO standards have been met.
c. Numerals in italics indicate elevation AMSL of the top of the mast or
obstruction.
d. Height above ground is shown in upright text within brackets.
e. Only structures above 300FT AGL are shown, structures up to 300FT AGL
may exist that are not depicted on charts.
AERIS
Aerodrome (locations)
HF network boundary
WAC number
Holding pattern
Magnetic variation
TAC coverage
VTC coverage
7.1 Introduction
This section contains information regarding the Departure and Approach Procedure
charts for Australia, including aerodrome, ground movement and apron charts, noise
abatement procedures, Standard Instrument Departure (SID) and Standard Arrival
Route (STAR) charts, Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) and Global Positioning
System (GPS) arrival charts and Instrument Approach and Landing (IAL) charts.
Where more than one approach of the same type is provided to the same runway,
these are identified by an alphabetical suffix commencing at the end of the alphabet:
e.g., RWY 19 ILS-Z, and RWY 19 ILS-Y identify two different ILS approaches to the
same runway.
Where more than one circling approach is published at the same aerodrome, each
procedure is identified by an alphabetical suffix, commencing at the beginning of the
alphabet: e.g., NDB-A, VOR-B, VOR-C.
Note: RNAV or RNP- procedures which have become circling retain a suffix
indicative of the direction of approach i.e., N, E, S, W.
RNP-AR approach procedures published by Airservices are designed according to
criteria contained in ICAO Doc 9905. Unless noted on the approach procedure chart,
standard RNP values for each segment apply. These values are shown in Table 24.
Segment RNP values
ARRIVAL 2
INITIAL 1
INTERMEDIATE 1
FINAL 0.3
MISSED APPROACH 1
8 Definitions
Within this document, the following abbreviations will be used:
Term Definition
AD Aerodrome
BLW Below
CAT Category
CM Centimetre
DA Danger Area
DA Decision Altitude
DH Decision Height
Term Definition
FL Flight Level
FM From
FT Feet
HF High Frequency
IDENT Identification
KM Kilometre
KT Knot
LL Lower Level
NM Nautical Mile
Term Definition
R Relay
RA Restricted Area
RQ Require(d)
RWY Runway
SFC Surface
THR Threshold
9 References
Title Number
AIP Book
ERSA
ICAO Annex 4