A former TWA captain, Barry Schiff has been flying for 47 years. He retired from TWA in 1998.
My fascination with charts and maps began in the fourth grade. That was when my teacher, Mrs. Phipps, distributed outline maps of the United States to each of her students. The country and each state were outlined in thin blue lines, and that was it. There were no topographical or cultural features.
We learned the states one at a time, coloring and labeling each as it was taught. At the end of the semester, the map was complete (including state capitals), and we were allowed to take home our masterpieces for framing.
That summer, my family moved from New Jersey to California, and I followed the route of our Dodge sedan on the free maps given away by service stations in those days. You cannot believe my incredulity upon discovering that there were no thin blue lines to identify our passing from one state to the next.
Little did I know then the role that maps and charts would play in my life.
Is there a difference between a chart and a map? Yes, but only to a purist who pompously declares that a chart is a map modified for aerial or marine navigation. "A map," he would say, "is to look at, and a chart is to work upon."
My first experience with an aeronautical chart occurred during presolo. My instructor, Mike Walters, sat in the back of the tandem-seat Aeronca Champ and used a rolled-up chart to whack me on the neck and noggin every time I screwed up, which was so often that I developed welts.
At the end of each flight he replaced the worn-out chart with a new one — they cost only 25 cents in those days — in preparation for his next victim. One day my curiosity got the best of me and I stealthily retrieved a used chart from the trashcan. I carefully opened the rumpled sectional like an archeologist inspecting an ancient scroll. The colorful patterns and mysterious hieroglyphic-like symbols fascinated me.
Aeronautical charts, I discovered, are magnificent pieces of art (and are becoming almost as expensive), beautiful portraits of the Earth that provide pilots with the most reliable navigational guidance yet devised. With them, a pilot can window-shop the world and fly vicariously to wherever he might care to wander. Charting and planning a flight — real or imaginary — can be satisfying unto itself.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the sectional chart must be worth a million because of the wealth of information it contains. Trouble is, we get shortchanged. The abbreviated legend printed on each chart does not show all of the symbols used on that chart. Those serious about chart reading should obtain a copy of the government's Aeronautical Chart Users Guide, an invaluable booklet that is available from a variety of sources. Every pilot should have one. Be the first on your block to know how flumes, penstocks, peat bogs, land subject to inundation, and fluctuating shorelines are symbolized.
One of the most titillating aspects of planning a long flight, especially one along an unfamiliar route, has been laying out charts on my dining room table and using a steel yardstick (purchased especially for the purpose) to lay out a direct route from destination to departure. I then inspect the course and modify it as necessary to sidestep restricted airspace and hostile terrain. (The problem with using GPS to fly direct routes without such planning is that it often leads us along routes strewn with hazards.)
Standing back from the charts, it is easy to see the overall and irregular nature of the terrain and envision how it can affect weather. It is not difficult to "see" upslope fog creeping on cat's feet along Appalachian slopes, mountain waves undulating across and beyond the ridges of the Rockies, and storm systems altering their assault weapons as they march inexorably across the country.
Are pilots required to carry current charts aboard every flight? Except in specific cases, no, but should they get into difficulty because of not having one, they will have some tall explaining to do.
I also use aeronautical charts when on long road trips and whenever traveling overseas (whether I plan to fly or not). They not only enhance my knowledge and appreciation of foreign topography, they also lead me to local airports that might otherwise be hidden from view. Being an inveterate ramp rat, I find delight in detouring to visit small airports along the way. You never know what fascinating things you will see or people you will meet. Aeronautical charts also help to orient a lost driver because they show so much of the topography.
Another wonderful use for aeronautical charts is to follow world events as they unfold. During U.S. involvement in Bosnia, Somalia, Vietnam, and the like, I purchased charts of those areas to identify locations and topographical conditions. This provided a better sense and appreciation of what was happening at these hot spots than a small-scale atlas. This also is a wonderful way to get youngsters interested in world affairs while simultaneously teaching them how to read maps (and becoming sharper yourself).
Visit the author's Web site ( www.barryschiff.com).
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