Site Search
Print Page Setup Profile Login
You have 4 items in your shopping cart
Section Image

World Aviation Charts for the outback !!!!

Submitted: Saturday, Jun 02, 2007 at 23:14

Member - Chris D (Newcastle)

A friend has introduced me to World Aviation Charts, as used by pilots. There are about thirty that cover Aust and they look great. Just enough detail on roads, tracks and land formations and about the right scale for the outback.

Has anyone else seen or used them for land based travel?

Chris

Click Image to Enlarge
Chris
Advertisement
ThreadID: 46196 Replies: 8
Views: 1105 FollowUps: 2
This Thread has been Archived
Thread Summary
Thread Watch Back To Forum Alert Moderator FAQ
AnswerID: 244286   Submitted: Sunday, Jun 03, 2007 at 07:47

wdric replied:

knew a guy who used them in china because thats all he could get for the area. He made it home so they must have been OK :)

They would be missing some things which vehicles need but planes don't.

Are they in a format for use in OZI (raster)?
If you need any assistance drop me a line 4wdric at hunterlink dot net dot au

We could compare them to the hema or Auslig maps

ric
Reply 1 of 8
AnswerID: 244291   Submitted: Sunday, Jun 03, 2007 at 09:10

David N. replied:

WAC charts are excellent for aerial navigation...... AND land navigation.
Deadly accurate, perfect for GPS with Lats and Longs etc, terrain, and any significant land features.

(They commonly called WAC charts pronounced like whack!)
Cheers
....... from a 30 year pilot and 35 year four wheel driver!
Reply 2 of 8
AnswerID: 244294   Submitted: Sunday, Jun 03, 2007 at 09:33

Member - Gomax (VIC) replied:

Digital WACs available at

link text
Reply 3 of 8
AnswerID: 244345   Submitted: Sunday, Jun 03, 2007 at 13:13

Member - Dick (Int) replied:

Hi Chris, In the mid to late 60's I used WAC charts to find my way around the most remote parts of Western NSW. Western Qld, Northern SA, and Southern NT and I always managed to find where I wanted to go. WAC charts are very accurate and have a lot of good landmarks on them which a VFR pilot relies on. We had no GPS then so it was strictly navigation by time, and reading the landmarks.

Dick
Lifetime Member: My Profile  Send Message
Reply 4 of 8
Activities Index
Helicopter Flight over Hervey Bay & Fraser Island Helicopter Flight over Hervey Bay & Fraser Is
Fraser Coast - QLD
Take a helicopter flight of a lifetime across the Fraser Coast.
Facial Treatment - 60 Minutes Facial Treatment - 60 Minutes
Adelaide - SA
'Face' it, this is a great gift and everyone 'nose' that we're not just being 'cheeky'!
Massage & Body Brushing - 60 Minutes Massage & Body Brushing - 60 Minutes
Canberra - INT
Do you feel like a little mindless inactivity?
Grand Canyon  - Half Day Walk Grand Canyon - Half Day Walk
Blue Mountains - NSW
Step back in time as you enter a true canyon created over millions of years.
Book Now - Things To Do
AnswerID: 244366   Submitted: Sunday, Jun 03, 2007 at 14:37

Crackles replied:

Used them 20 years ago as there was little else available with enough detail of the deserts. Probably not worth worrying about these days as there are far better maps like the Great Desert series or Westprint with all the detail a 4 wheel driver needs. ie: GPS points, camp sites, track notes etc. The scale is nothing special so the track detail can be a bit out. With computer mapping the World Aviation charts are old hat unless of course you are flying a plane.
Cheers Craig............
Reply 5 of 8
FollowupID: 505340   Submitted: Sunday, Jun 03, 2007 at 16:51

Mike Harding posted:

Agreed.
FollowUp 1 of 1
AnswerID: 244398   Submitted: Sunday, Jun 03, 2007 at 16:41

Member -Signman replied:

With a scale of 1:1000000 I don't think so- in some situations 1:250k is not enough...
The Ultimate Hitch-hiker
Click Image to Enlarge
Each morning I seize the day...
but by mid afternoon it has escaped!
Signman- NSW
VKS737 M3364 Selcall3364
Amateur Callsign: VK2EZY
Reply 6 of 8
AnswerID: 244890   Submitted: Tuesday, Jun 05, 2007 at 13:44

howie replied:

the only advantage i can think of is that they show some some relief and the magnetic variation.
otherwise, at a scale of 1:1000000, i will stick to road maps for 4wd and WAC's for flying.
the charts are designed for visual navigation.
as accurate as most maps as the continent drifts off slowly.
laminated ones are good for using with a chinagraph pencil to scribble/draw on, which can be erased easily.
Reply 7 of 8
AnswerID: 245324   Submitted: Thursday, Jun 07, 2007 at 08:31

John R (NSW) replied:

I used WAC's for the first couple of years of my flying career until I found the RAAF ONC's (Operational Navigation Charts) - heaps easier to read! IMHO the tints used were far easier to interpret than the WAC.

If you're looking for something with a better scale try TPC's (Tactical Pilotage Charts). They only go to 1:500000 but contain reasonably good detail and are as easy to read as an ONC.
Reply 8 of 8
FollowupID: 509386   Submitted: Friday, Jun 22, 2007 at 17:17

Jim7 posted:

A mate of mine used WAC charts for years he found them much cheaper than topo maps and they seemed pretty accurate and match up with the GPS Ok ... Of course all this was before all these ubeut navigation systems they have noe like Ozexploer...
Cheers
jim
FollowUp 1 of 1