Lots of pilots enjoy the aerial views possible in Google Earth, and now a company called ChartGeek is offering a way to see aeronautical chart info displayed right inside your Google Earth view. The ChartGeek charts allow pilots to “see” details such as VFR flyways, weather, and airspace classifications, rendered in 3D and accurately placed according to the FAA/NACO geographical coordinates. Users can also choose to fade the chart away to show details of the underlying terrain. “Pilots’ ability to ‘pre-fly’ their routes using ChartGeek Charts in Google Earth greatly improves their ability to recognize key waypoints and landmarks that they have not yet seen,” says the company. Each 3D chart is derived from an authorized FAA/NACO digital chart. During November, members of EAA or AOPA can download a free sample of a Sectional or TAC chart from ChartGeek. Anyone who is not a member can try it out for $3.99.
To get your free chart, go to ChartGeek.com and look for the EAA or AOPA link. Google Earth is a free download from Google. And sorry, Mac users, the ChartGeek charts are Windows compatible only.
