Terminal area chart

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In United States and Canadian aviation, Terminal area charts are aeronautical charts intended for navigation under Visual Flight Rules that depict areas surrounding major airports (primarily those with Class B airspace.

[edit] Overview

Like the VFR sectional charts that they complement, terminal area charts depict topographic features and other information of interest to aviators flying visually, including major landmarks, terrain elevations, visual navigation routes, ground-based navigation aids, airports, rivers, cities, and airspace boundaries. TACs are more detailed than sectional charts, and are scaled at 1:250,000 (as opposed to 1:500,000 for sectional charts) to permit inclusion of more detail. TACs contain information on approach, departure, and transition rules and procedures for the congested Class B areas around major airports.

Terminal area charts for the USA are maintained and published by the United States Federal Aviation Administration, and by of commercial enterprises (notably Jeppesen) that produce equivalent, certified charts, often with some added value over the government charts, but with a higher price.

The reverse side of a paper copy of the TAC often provides a fly chart, a simplified chart that shows preferred VFR routes through the area covered by the TAC.

TACs are updated at six-month intervals.