Jeppesen or Government Charts?

By: Felipe Santiago, CFI

Here are some things to consider when choosing which one you want to use: 

The simple answer is that you can use either one, so it comes down to personal preference. With that said I’m a Jeppesen guy, although I learned to fly IFR on the government charts. I couldn’t afford them at the time and my instructor really loved the government ones, I guess it was the ones he used in the military and what he grew up with. 

Fun or Pro

— If you are looking to become a professional pilot, I believe getting use to the Jeppesen charts. Every carrier I know of uses them. If you are just flying for fun it’s probably not worth spending the money on them. I do believe they present the information in a better format but at the end of the day they both do the same thing. 

What is Available

— The nice thing about Jeppesen is that you can get charts for almost anywhere in the world. The government charts will cover you in the states but that is as far as they will take you. If you are planning to do a lot of flying outside of the country then sticking to one format (one provider) is my recommendation. 

Cost

— The cost of Jeppesen is obviously higher. Luckily I don’t have to pay for them! But if I was then the government charts are probably a better deal. Plus if you have a ForeFlight account which I highly recommend you get all the US without having to purchase any additional subscription. Here is a funny fact. Jeppesen and Foreflight are both owned by Boeing! 

What your School uses/Instructor Knows

— Sometimes your flight school might use one or the other, or you instructor isn’t familiar with both. That could be a limiting factor. At our school most students use the government chart just because the price but all our instructors are also trained on the Jeppesen charts so they can instructor either one.