What are aviation charts?

Aviation charts (often just "charts") are official documents that describe airports, airspace, navigation aids and procedures in a standardized way. Real pilots cannot fly on instruments without them — and in Microsoft Flight Simulator they are the difference between guessing an approach and flying it properly.

Each country publishes an Aeronautical Information Publication ( AIP ) containing all official charts. On top of that, commercial providers like Jeppesen (a Boeing company) re-render the same data in their own, very popular layout. That is why the same ILS approach can look different depending on the source: the data is identical, the presentation is not.

• Navigraph Charts — the most popular source in MSFS, Jeppesen-style plates, subscription-based, integrates with the in-sim EFB .
• SimBrief — free flight planning; the paid Navigraph subscription adds real charts, but SimBrief alone gives you routes and altitudes.
• Official AIPs — free for most countries (e.g. FAA charts for the USA, European AIPs via the national providers). Authentic but less beginner-friendly layout.
• Little Navmap — free moving-map tool that displays navdata, procedures and frequencies, though not real plates.

The MSFS Guide compares these sources and walks through a complete flight workflow with them. Next up: chart types at a glance — which chart answers which question.