Flying with outdated charts is not only unsafe, it's probably illegal—pilots love to debate FAR 91.103, but if you bust Class B airspace with an expired chart, the FAA will likely be upset. Keeping track of all the different effective dates used to be a challenge, since VFR and IFR charts were updated on different cycles. Fortunately, in 2020 the FAA simplified its update schedule so that most, but not all, charts follow the same cycle. Here are the details.
56-day update cycle
These are the most popular charts, including VFR sectionals and IFR approach plates. Because they are used for preflight planning and in-flight navigation, they are regularly updated to show the most recent information.
- Sectional Aeronautical Charts
- Terminal Area Charts (TACs)
- Chart Supplements (Airport/Facility Directory)
- Terminal Procedures Publication (approach plates)
- IFR Low Altitude En Route Charts
- IFR High Altitude En Route Charts
- Caribbean IFR Low Altitude En Route Charts
- Gulf Coast VFR Aeronautical Chart
- Grand Canyon VFR Aeronautical Chart
- Caribbean VFR Chart 1 and Chart 2
Annual update cycle
Some charts are more for large scale planning, not navigation, so they are only updated once per year. These make great wallpaper for your home office or hangar, and since they generally show less detail than sectionals or en route charts, fewer updates are needed anyway.
New chart dates
Want to plan your next big trip? Here are the dates for new chart cycles through 2025.
2023
February 23
April 20
June 15
August 10
October 5
November 30
2024
January 25
March 21
May 16
July 11
September 5
October 31
December 26
2025
February 20
April 17
June 12
August 7
October 2
November 27
You can always check the latest expiration date for each chart at the FAA’s Dates of Latest Editions (DOLE) website.
How to stay up to date
If you're flying with an electronic flight bag (EFB) app like ForeFlight or Garmin, updating your charts just takes a tap on the screen. For paper charts, it's best to plan ahead and order a new chart about five days before the new date. Or take the worry out of keeping your charts current and let Sporty's do the work for you with a chart subscription: we can automatically send you new charts as they come available. Sporty's works directly with the chart printers to get the latest charts roughly a week before their effective date, so you can count on us to get you your chart before it becomes active. To start a chart subscription, just choose the specific chart you want and choose the subscription option from the drop-down menu. Or email us: support@sportys.com.
Don't forget to check NOTAMs before every flight, too. If there's a change to a frequency or a new obstacle that hasn't made it to the chart yet, NOTAMs are the place to find them. You can also check the safety alerts on the FAA's charting website.
