VFR Sectional Charts, VFR Terminal Area Charts, World Aeronautical Charts
 (WAC).

 The FAA has decided to start charging companies for use of previously
free
 NOS chart downloads and remove access for individuals starting April 5,
 2012.  It is suspected that this will have a noted impact of smaller
 companies that use this information and provides service to the consumer
 pilot (i.e. I-Pad/I-Phone navigation, EFIS GPS etc)

 If you don't know about this, you may wish to become informed.

 http://www.generalaviationnews.com/2011/11/15/petition-launched-to-fight-faa
 -decision-to-charge-for-navigation-downloads/

 http://tinyurl.com/7bb6axj

 and

 http://www.eaa.org/news/2011/2011-11-16_charts.asp

 There is a petition on the White House website to have the policy
reviewed.
 25,000 sigs are needed by DECEMBER 14, 2011 (currently only about
1200...I
 was 1278).

 To sign the petition, click here

 https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions/%21/petition/ask-faa-reversal-charge-g
 overnment-approach-data-downloads-and-not-allowing-individuals-access-them/H
 g1nqTJy?utm_source=wh.gov&utm_medium=shorturl&utm_campaign=shorturl



 http://tinyurl.com/cbhrwp4

 Chris Barber

 Downloads are cheap to provide. It has little to due with lowering cost
to
 the tax payer.

 If you can get a sectional on your tablet that is a great safety
advantage.

 Paul Lamar

 Version: 10.0.1411 / Virus Database: 2092/4024 - Release Date: 11/18/11

 Hi Paul,
        Can overseas pilots create a whitehouse account in order to sign
 this petition against FAA greed in wanting to charge
 Us for nav downloads. This has world wide implications. Here in New
Zealand
 we have a greedy SOE (state owned enterprise)
 Called Airways who are charging us for air traffic control that we don't
 need, and guess what they keep dreaming up new charges and raising their
 fees !!! We took them to court but didn't get a result, we are appealing.
 This proved to us that there is NO JUSTICE for the common man ! I sure
hope
 that you guys get enough signatures, good luck.
                Chris in NZ


 I don't know.

 Paul Lamar



I don't have a problem with a nominal charge..  Remember how much
paper charts cost??  Ouch.


Matt-

I think paper charts are still required. Perhaps if you are not equipped
with a certified Moving Map.

I think this is just another tax without congressional approval.
We stupidly allow government agencies to increase user and other fees
whenever they feel like it.

Paul Lamar

--
I don't see why taxpayers should be asked to fund my hobby.  I've got no
problem paying a fee for chart downloads--somebody has to be paid to create
new sectionals, etc.  Now, the fee should be fair and related to the
(justifiable, not porked-up) cost of actually doing the production.

IIRC, paper charts are no longer required for Part 91 operations.  My IPAD
with Foreflight software does great (and I'm careful to update the charts
regularly).  But, I still carry a "backup" paper chart of my local flight
are--not required, but seems prudent to me.


Mark W.

Part 91: These are the regulations that define the operation of small
non-commercial aircraft within the US.

If paper charts are not required than so be it.    I can see how it could
save money.
Actually if the NOS got out of the biz all together and allowed company's to
download
the raw data for a fee perhaps that would cut the cost further.

Back in the early 90's when I was writing moving map software  we
contacted the FAA for the airport data base and were told Ross Perot's
Electronic
Data Systems had the contract to maintain it. We contacted EDS for the data
and it was
stored on 9 track tape which one could rent for $17. I bought a nine track
reader
which I still have. (Do you want to buy it? :)) Here are some pictures.

I think it stored less than 20 meg as I recall which was a lot at the time.
I extracted the data and took a look. It was fixed file format with over
50% to 80% blank spaces as fillers. I zipped it and it fit on a 1.2 meg IBM
5.25 inch floppy. I contacted the FAA and complained. I then offered
to GIVE.. no charge to the FAA.. an IBM PC (I also owned a computer store at
the time.)
with the zipped data on it if they would make it available to software
developers
on IBM floppies.

They refused. That would have saved the FAA $200,000 a year which was
what they were paying EDS to maintain it.

Paul Lamar

Has anyone bothered to read the FAA's proposed plan? It's not just about the
fees. The FAA plans to bar private individuals from access altogether.
Unless you pay for a distribution license, and are some kind of business
(which I'm sure will have to comply with more FAA regulations). So not only
are you going to have to pay, but there is a guaranteed middleman markup.

I don't mind paying my fair share of costs for my hobbies either, but as
Paul points out, there is an ingrained disposition for bureaucratic largess
with everything the FAA does. They talk about the FAAs budget, but never
bother to look at how to actually make the agency lean. In the end, the
little guy always gets screwed, while the Washington insiders with their
connections suck down taxpayer money by inflating the costs of services.

C. Smith

Good point Craig. I missed that. If you fly you have no choice.
You have to have the charts in some form. At a minimum you will
need a tablet in the airplane. We will all wind up with road maps
or printed google earth maps which are better than sectionals
in some regards. The down side to that is no airspace lines.

Paul Lamar


If this is implemented, the cost of Foreflight, Grand Rapids updates, Dynon
updates, Garmin updates, etc. will ALL go up. We paid to get the data in the
first place, and shouldn't have to pay again for an electronic copy that
costs nothing to distribute. The paper maps had printing and distribution
costs, the electronic data moves quickly and inexpensively.



Bill Schertz
KIS Cruiser #4045
N343BS
Phase one testing Completed