You begin by selecting a chart...
You select a chart either using a map (above) or a chart file selector (right). If you use the map, as you move your mouse over the map, a blue rectangle displays over each north or south half of a corresponding Sectional or the shaded TAC's. Just click to activate that Sectional or TAC.
The left side of the File Selector shows you 'local' inventory (charts on your PC) while the right side shows the complete chart inventory on our web site.
The chart initially displays so that it fits in the window. The black arrows are here solely to point out features as follows:
- 1)This zoom level is called 'Fit To Display'. The entire chart shows at a glance so you can rapidly zoom to an area of interest.
- 2)The Title Bar shows you the Chart Name, Edition, and valid date range.
- 3)The tool bar makes it easy to Measure, Draw a Route, or Select an Area.
- 4)This status box shows the Zoom level (shows other things later).
- 5)This status box shows the Latitude and Longitude of your Mouse location on the map.
- 6)This box shows helpful information as needed.
- 7)On the Washington Sectional, South half, this is the Norfolk Class C airspace. This is like a mini-TAC. In eSectionals, when possible, we automatically provde you with these mini-TACs as separate charts.
You can pull down the File Menu and select discrete Zoom levels Fit to Display, 50%, 100%, 150%, 200%, or 300%. There are also two buttons on the ToolBar that let you Zoom In/Out in steps. (The following pictures are Zooms at 100% (left) and 300% (right).
Next, we'll show you three basic activities> These are MEASURE, DRAW ROUTE, and SELECT AREA. Start with MEASURE . . .
- 1)We press the ToolBar button 'Measure'
- 2)Then we clicked on an airport.
- 3)We moved up to another airport.
- 4)As we moved, the Latitude and Longitude at the mouse cursor are displayed.
- 5)Similarly, this Status Box displays the Distance and True Course relative to the first point clicked.
- By clicking on (3), our destination airport, (5) records our final Distance and True Course.
DRAW ROUTE
- Here we pressed the next button called Draw Route.
- Then we clicked on our Departure airport. Just as in measure, the Lat/Lon Status Box and the Distant/True Course Status Box displays dynamically.
- Next we clicked a Waypoint, in this case, a VOR.
- Finally, we clicked on our Destination.
- The info box tells us to press the ESC button to end our Draw Route feature. Doing so, the info box tells us we are in the EDIT ROUTE mode and we can also scroll the info box to see a listing of our Route (Distance and True Course for each Leg).
- In the Route Edit Mode, we could move over any point and click it to move it or deleted it. Or we could move in-between points (along a leg) and click to add a new Waypoint.
- When we are finished, the info box tells use to press the ESC key again to 'lock' the Route.
- Then we can save the Route as a file giving it some informative name. (When you Recall a Route, if it is on a different Sectional or TAC, that map is loaded and the Route is displayed.) Now you are ready to fill out your flight plan table since you now have the Lat/Lons of each point along with the Distance and True Course of each Leg . . . all without using the plastic scale and protractor AND with accuracy.
That aside, now that you really want to fly this mission, let's print a TripKit. Before doing so, we will want to see in advance, what our TripKit will consists of. So we . . .
. . . selected the Map Menu, Route, Show TripKit Frames . . .
We don't want to confuse you (did we?) but this is not the same Route. We have selected a simple route to show you the TripKit frames. These are the yellow boxes that are stepped along your route. You can select the 'size' of the frames from a Preferences Menu. The size is simply the dimension of the box (20, 30, 40, or 50 nautical miles across).
eSectionalstm is rather 'smart'. If your route is very horizontal or very vertical, the TripKit frames have less overlap. As you approach 45 degrees in any direction, the overlap is heavy.
You can change the TripKit frame size based on your personal flight preferences. For example, if you make the size larger, this should result in fewer frames. Once you make a decision, you are ready to print.
Printing a TripKit based on a Draw(n) Route . . .
We select Print TripKit from the File Menu to activate the Print Dialog seen here.
The Dialog informs you that there are four frames, each 2.5 inches square. You now have a print option that lets you scale the printout up to 300%. This of course, makes each printout about 7.5 inches square.
Each frame prints on a separate sheet of paper with frame numbers for quick reference. The route data is also printed with each frame.
After printing, you staple the sheets and are ready to fly without a huge map. You get neat pages that fit on your Kneeboard . . . we think it makes for safer flights!
The remaining button, Select Area . . .
The blue frame (not to be confused with the yellow TripKit frames) shows an 'area' that you selected by clicking the mouse in an upper left corner and dragging the mouse down and to the right. What is the value in selecting an Area?
This feature offers two benefits. First, when you select an area, you can save it as an Area. If you regularly fly within the given rectangle, it allows you to load just that AREA as a SUBSECTIONAL. It loads quicker...great for older, slow computers with less graphical memory card speeds.
An additional feature is that you can PRINT JUST THAT AREA. When you opt to print an area, the Print Dialog shows you how many pages will print to cover your selected area. Again, just like the TripKit frames, you get neat, organized pages that fit on your Kneeboard.
Need we inform you that an inexpensive, color ink-jet printer is required? You will find that your printouts, whether at 100% (exact size of a Sectional or TAC) or enlarged to 150% or 200% will be equal in quality to a printed Sectional? In fact, when enlarging, the print quality is BETTER than the standard paper chart!