What IFR subscription for JeppFD for Central Europe

Snoopy wrote:

Are the charts identical? How do you know?

Well, you compare them… On the ground before flying obviously…

I’m not saying or implying anyone should do it. I’m just saying it’s an option to consider as one can bring that 800 EUR down to 100 EUR per year + the extra work and inconvenience of a) cross-checking the information against current official AIP and b) carrying the official AIP plates additionally with you.

Those “computer game charts” are the same as the real Jepp plates. I have access to real plates through my ATO, and the Navigraph ones at home. In years of usage I have never spotted a single difference (other than the “do not use for flight” banner).

What matters is that the DATA is correct. As long as the data is correct you could theoretically hand-draw your plates on a napkin and fly on those… The “don’t use for flight” thing, is just a liability discharge. It really only means “use at your own risk”.

The Navigraph charts are the same. You can use their Charts app while connected to the internet, so hou have to download the charts you need on the ground.

Various previous threads can be found by a search on jeppesen.

Basically they have historically offered a four-device subscription for about €2000/year (for all of “political” Europe; much debate around that ) which was later made available as a single-device sub for about €900/year.

Then you can buy this in different ways, in combinations with panel mount device databases, but there is no way to get any huge saving.

A lot of people have done sharing groups where the four-device sub is shared four ways which is going to be the cheapest way to do it.

Jepp also offer various reduced coverage options e.g. here.

Alpha_Floor wrote:

Arguably one would be legal if they took the official, free, AIP charts and compared them to the “not for real use” plate. Once it’s been established that they are the same, they become valid to use?

Yes they do – but obviously only until the next revision – then you have to do the comparison again. Plus comparing them is not so simple as they present information in different ways (e.g. DH vs. OCH).

Therefore if we do not want to promote the dangerous use of computer game charts (which might well match at one point in time but the revision service is unclear), it’s better and easier to get used to the AIP charts in the first place…

AeroPlus 22-Feb-21 07:08 12
The Navigraph charts are the same. You can use their Charts app while connected to the internet, so you have to download the charts you need on the ground.

SkyDemon has ALL the AIP Plates incorporated into its system.
If you have Navigraph and wish to use their Jeppesen plates for ‘reference’, and you have access to a computer and printer, you can always save their plates as a .pdf under its ICAO code e.g. ‘LFAC_RNP 27.pdf’.
You can then load them directly into SkyDemon where they will appear as an ‘extra’ Airfield plate for that Airfield on your iPad on that Airfield’s page.
It can be a bit of a kerfuffle; but for someone who only flies to about 10 new airfields IFR per year, I find it perfectly doable.
Alternatively, if at the last moment you need a copy of a particular Navigraph plate for ‘reference’, and you have Internet access only, you can call it up and take a Screenshot. It will then be in your iPad; but not on the actual airfield page.

Peter_G wrote:

If you have Navigraph and wish to use their Jeppesen plates for ‘reference’, and you have access to a computer and printer, you can always save their plates as a .pdf under its ICAO code e.g. ‘LFAC_RNP 27.pdf’.
You can then load them directly into SkyDemon where they will appear as an ‘extra’ Airfield plate for that Airfield on your iPad on that Airfield’s page.
It can be a bit of a kerfuffle; but for someone who only flies to about 10 new airfields IFR per year, I find it perfectly doable

I am in that boat, only IFR in UK & France to familiar places, AIP & SkyDemon as you mentioned does the job for me (except, in France where you need to rename the files), I know how to convert OCH to DH & visibility (practically, flying to DH = OCH+50ft and 1nm/300ft is all what one needs, but one can make a 100 pages academic exercise and big friends dinner out of it, I am sure someone will start talking about how he does it “properly with professional Jepps plates” for flying 22.134ft DH & 250.44m visibility )

Peter_G wrote:

You can then load them directly into SkyDemon where they will appear as an ‘extra’ Airfield plate for that Airfield on your iPad on that Airfield’s page.

Sorry but how do you do this exactly? Where do I need to save the plate for it to appear on the airfield menu in SD?

Sorry but how do you do this exactly? Where do I need to save the plate for it to appear on the airfield menu in SD?

This is how I do it:
On my home computer I call up the Navigraph plate I want.
On my printer, which can convert pages to pdf, I save it, as for example, ‘LFAC_RNP 27.pdf’. [Note: The Capitals, the Underscore, and the lower case .pdf]
From my home computer, I send myself an email with the file as an attachment.
On my IPad I open up the attachment in my email.
Under ‘options’, I can ‘share’ the file to SkyDemon.
I get a message that it has done this.
Next time I open up LFAC in SkyDemon, the plate is there with the name I have given it.
Hope this helps.
As I mentioned, it is a bit of a bit of a kerfuffle; and another poster may have an easier/simpler method. But my system does work!

Peter_G wrote:

But my system does work!

I need to try adding some GPS and naming meta-data to the PDF to help Georef by SkyDemon and get selected in “MakeApproach”
I will post when that works…