AIM Text
Civil aeronautical charts for the U.S. and its territories, and possessions are produced by Aeronautical Information Services (AIS), https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/safety_alerts/ which is part of FAA's Air Traffic Organization, Mission Support Services.
Source: FAA Aeronautical Information Manual · current edition · paragraph 9-1-1.
Research Notes
AIM 9-1-1 introduces Aeronautical Charts and Related Publications — the chart and publication system used for U.S. aviation.
Major chart types:
- VFR Sectional: 1:500,000 scale. The primary VFR chart. Updated every 56 days.
- Terminal Area Chart (TAC): 1:250,000 scale. Detail around Class B airports.
- VFR Flyway: Suggested VFR routes in Class B areas. Reverse side of TACs.
- IFR Enroute Low: Low-altitude IFR routes (below 18,000 MSL).
- IFR Enroute High: High-altitude IFR routes (FL180+).
- Approach Plates: Individual instrument approach procedures, published per airport.
- Airport Diagrams: Detailed airport layout for ground operations.
Publishers:
- FAA — the authoritative publisher for U.S. aviation charts
- Jeppesen — commercial chart publisher used by many airlines and business operators
- EFB apps (ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot) — digital chart displays with various publishers
Reference: AIM 9; FAA-H-8083-25 Chapter 16.