Jeppesen recently gave a preview of changes to the company’s SID (standard instrument departure) and STAR (standard terminal arrival route) charts. According to the company, the improvements, which have been in the works for the past two years, are intended to help enhance pilots’ situational awareness.
The redesign process included input from pilots and human factors experts, as well as incorporating best practices and real-world operational environment factors. Improvements to the charts include introducing colors to identify what pilots consider to be the most pertinent information. For example, altitude restrictions will be in blue, while airspeed restrictions will be in magenta.
The new chart design also incorporates graphics for key topographic features, such as a blue tint for water and shaded areas for mountains. In addition, flight procedures on STARs and SIDs will be shown to scale to improve situational awareness. It also enables use of an “own ship” symbol when connected to a GPS.
Jeppesen plans to begin rolling out the new charts by year-end, starting in Europe.
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