Where to get charts at on super short notice??

TXaviator

Well-Known Member
OK so maybe I just had bad luck today, but with my job, i need the flexibility to shoot off accross the country on about 12 hours notice. This requires CHARTS for planning and general CYA. Yes, I can plan flights using online tools, and print approaches, airport diagrams, etc... but (maybe i'm naiive here) where the hell do you procure enroute charts (or distant sectionals) on short notice???

the fbo on the field i landed at today didnt even have an enroute that covered their field!! thankfully it will be VFR tommorrow to my final destination, but even at my fuel stop i called a few diff airports and fbos and no charts to be found.

am i totally stupid here or what?? youll have to forgive me, coming from a pt 141 school with a well stocked pilot shop right in the hangar buildings....
 
Kinkos + Skyvector. . .???

That sucks. . .might need to invest in a subscription service with Sporty's or something.
 
Where are you? I would check airnav.

i did. and i called the fbos here and within short flying distance. no dice. :banghead:

especially stupid since the field im at has 2 flight schools on the field and no GD CHARTS!! :banghead::banghead::banghead:


im half tempted to skyvector+inkjet the enroute portions i need.
 
it was more rhetorical/asking for input, since im leaving VFR in the morning anyway... but has anyone else found themselves in no-mans-land without charts and needing to get out IFR??

what do ya do? go without the enroute? fltplan and skyvector have been my friend bigtime so far....
 
I know this may not be the answer you want to hear, but . . .since it doesn't look like you'll actually have to face it tomorrow. . .

Don't go anywhere. Wait til you can get out VFR. Otherwise, get legit charts.

If you're not in BFE right now, do you plan on being in BFE soon? Get charts enroute somewhere. . .call the FBOs you'll be flying over or through before you get airborne in the morning and see if they have what you'll need in stock.

Your company doesn't provide any Low Enroutes for you?
 
lol surreal, im not sure that youre reading my posts. said already that im leaving VFR tommorrow anyway ;-)

just wondering what other "real world" pilots do. and yes, my decision already was, go VFR, or dont go since i dont have legit charts "in case something happened".

the FBO when i reach NY tommorrow will have plenty of charts. i just wanted to go IFR for practice/simplicity on the way there, but the weather will not require it.
 
lol k fine. its late. brain is dumb. :)

do you often run into fbo's that dont have charts though? should i be looking for charts elsewhere?

with the nature of my job it doesnt make sense to "stock up" since i could be in an area for a few days or a few weeks, with NO idea where we are off to next.

the company doesnt provide them for that reason, just gives us a credit card to obtain pilot supplies as needed while on the road.
 
Sportys.com and overnight your charts...sure you'll pay and absurd amount of money, but when time counts...
 
is it near the end of a charting cycle for the sectionals in your area (or near the end of the 28/56 day IFR cycle)? if they are going to expire sometime soon i've found most places will be out of stock and not expecting to get more until the new chart is published. otherwise find out when they get new charts (perhaps once a week) and be patient.
 
OK so maybe I just had bad luck today, but with my job, i need the flexibility to shoot off accross the country on about 12 hours notice. This requires CHARTS for planning and general CYA. Yes, I can plan flights using online tools, and print approaches, airport diagrams, etc... but (maybe i'm naiive here) where the hell do you procure enroute charts (or distant sectionals) on short notice???

the fbo on the field i landed at today didnt even have an enroute that covered their field!! thankfully it will be VFR tommorrow to my final destination, but even at my fuel stop i called a few diff airports and fbos and no charts to be found.

am i totally stupid here or what?? youll have to forgive me, coming from a pt 141 school with a well stocked pilot shop right in the hangar buildings....
even crash support had a wide selection of sectionals, but most FBO's i have been to have a very minimal selection
 
"...and uhm approach can you...verify...the ILS and uh tower frequencies for me?"

Just kidding. Although I've known it to be done...
 
"...and uhm approach can you...verify...the ILS and uh tower frequencies for me?"

Just kidding. Although I've known it to be done...

I've heard that over frequency twice now, and the first time I heard it, someone came on and said "hah! Slacker, buy some ####ing charts!," followed by an incredibly awkward moment before approach replied.
 
it was more rhetorical/asking for input, since im leaving VFR in the morning anyway... but has anyone else found themselves in no-mans-land without charts and needing to get out IFR??
Yup...in my coast-to-coast adventure earlier this year, I couldn't believe how common it was for FBOs to not carry charts. And that you can download approach plates and digital sectionals from NACO but not IFR enroute charts is beyond ridiculous.

what do ya do? go without the enroute? fltplan and skyvector have been my friend bigtime so far....
Yup, did the same thing. Screen grabs from SkyVector, pasted together in Photoshop, printed on the hotel lobby/business ctr printer. Huge PITA.
 
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