Simviation Forums

Just glancing at the SCUD Running thread and seeing a picture from a sectional....

And seeing sectionals on various websites....

Is it just me or do they make NO sense?  Anyone know of a tutorial or something that explains what all the symbols mean?

Every sectional has a legend, where all that stuff is explained...

It is a bit overwhelming at first because there is SO much information there, but it starts to make sense once you know what it's trying to tell you, and know how to pick out the information that you need.

Eventually you can just glance at it while in flight, and read it easily...

Go down to your local FBO and ask if they have any expired sectionals. Tell them you're trying to learn how to read them. Even if you have to buy one or two, they're only $8 or so...

Then, use them religiously while simming... you'll be able to read them in no time at all..  :)

They'll make sense after a while.  Try an enroute chart...


The best thing to do though is to buy yourself a sectional or an enroute chart, and look at their legends.  I'd offer to send you some of my old ones, but you might want to go buy some new ones for wherever you're interested in, as mine are all of southern Wisconsin and norther Illinois, and they're somewhat boring.

I remember the first time I flew with my cousin on a long, cross-country. We stopped somewhere near Detroit for fuel and he sent me into the FBO for "charts"..  I was all of a 100 hour green-horn  ::) ... and when I came back with a couple VFR sectionals... me marched me back in and said, "No, we'll need big boy charts for the rest of this flight"...  My first Low-altitude IFR chart  

Is it just me or do they make NO sense?  

LOL! Sure, at first they make no sense... but so did written English before you knew how to read.

Ditto those who say "get a chart", and I'd also recommend the FAR/AIM.
But meantime, go to skyvector.com, where you will find all the US sectionals and  many terminal charts... the legend is included with some of them, which might shed some light.

http://skyvector.com/

Thanks for the tips guys.  I don't really need them for anything, just another thing that would be interesting to learn and know.

It adds a whole new level of realism and learning to simming ...

Planning your flights by charts and keeping one handy while flying is a lot of fun  :)

I have the New York sectional hanging in my room. I love to just study it. I love maps.

I have the New York sectional hanging in my room. I love to just study it. I love maps.

I must say, I love maps too.  Odd, but I think that's partly why we are so interested in aviation.  When you're up flying, it's like looking at a giant, real-life map (if that made any sense).

I just had an incredible urge to get some chocolate milk, which is odd, since I haven't had chocolate milk in years.  Again, odd. :-?

Random, if anyone is interested.

They are probably just as confusing as all those shiny buttons and dials in the cockpit of an airplane your first time.  Once you learn it, it all becomes second nature.