5.1 Aeronautical Charts & the Canada Flight Supplement

5.1 Aeronautical Charts & the Canada Flight Supplement

Exam Focus: Transport Canada requires RPAS Basic pilots to extract operational boundaries, obstacle elevations, and aerodrome data from official aviation publications. Memorize chart scales (VNC 1:500,000; VTA 1:250,000), how to interpret Maximum Elevation Figures (MEF), how to decode Section B of the Canada Flight Supplement (CFS), and how to enforce CAR 901.47 aerodrome standoffs.

Aeronautical charts and publications from NAV CANADA provide the authoritative baseline for Canadian airspace structure, terrain hazards, and aerodromes. RPAS pilots must understand cartographic standards and directory listings to ensure regulatory compliance and situational awareness.

---

VFR Navigation Charts (VNC) & VTA Charts

The VFR Navigation Chart (VNC) is the primary visual flight map used below 18,000 feet Above Sea Level (ASL).

• VNC Scale (1:500,000): On a VNC, 1 cm represents 5 km, and 1 inch represents approximately 7 nautical miles (NM) or 8 statute miles (SM). VNCs use a Lambert Conformal Conic Projection, where straight lines approximate Great Circle routes and scale remains uniform.
• VTA Scale (1:250,000): The VFR Terminal Area (VTA) chart provides double the linear detail of a VNC (1 inch ≈ 3.5 NM). Published for Canada's seven major hubs (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal), VTAs display tiered terminal airspace steps, VFR checkpoints (magenta flags), and flyway routes.

---

VNC Symbology & Airspace Markings

VNC charts depict aerodromes, controlled airspace, and hazards using standardized symbols:

• Aerodrome Layouts: Aerodromes with a hard-surfaced runway of about 1,500 ft or more are drawn to scale as a runway pattern; smaller or unpaved sites appear as a circle. Heliports display a bold "H"; water aerodromes display an anchor; abandoned or closed aerodromes are struck through with an "X". Always confirm the runway length and surface from the CFS rather than from the symbol alone — chart symbology is a locator, not a data source.
• Aerodrome Data Box: Adjacent to aerodrome symbols, data blocks show operational details:

  BROCKVILLE / THOUSAND ISLANDS RGNL
  CNC3   ATF 122.8  5NM  3100
  398  *L  45  122.8
  

  Top line: aerodrome name. Second line: ICAO/TC identifier (CNC3), frequency type, coverage, and ceiling (ATF 122.8 5NM 3100). Third line: elevation in feet ASL (398), lighting (*L), longest runway in hundreds of feet (45 = 4,500 ft), and advisory frequency (122.8).
• Airspace Boundaries: Solid cyan lines outline Class B airspace. Solid or dashed rings show Class C and D Control Zones with ceiling brackets (e.g., [ 30 ] = 3,000 ft ASL). Dashed magenta lines indicate Class E Control Zones and transition areas (controlled from 700 or 1,200 ft AGL). Amber hatched borders depict Class F Special Use Airspace (CYR Restricted, CYA Advisory).

---

Topographical Symbols, Contours and Relief

A VNC is a topographical map first and an aeronautical one second, because the terrain is what a low-flying RPA actually hits.

• Contour lines join points of equal elevation above sea level. Closely spaced contours mean steep ground; widely spaced contours mean gentle slopes. Contour intervals on a VNC are labelled in feet ASL.
• Hypsometric tinting (layer tinting) shades each elevation band a different colour, from green at low elevations through tan to brown at high ground, so relief is readable at a glance without tracing individual contours.
• Spot elevations mark the height of a specific summit or high point with a dot and a figure; the highest spot elevation on the chart is printed in a larger, bolder type.
• Cultural features — roads, railways, transmission lines, built-up areas (yellow tint), and prominent isolated landmarks — are charted because VFR pilots navigate by them. For an RPAS pilot they double as a hazard inventory and as the reference points a visual observer can use to describe traffic position.
• Hydrography — rivers, lakes, shorelines and marsh — matters because water changes the wind (sea and lake breezes, reduced friction) and because a ditching is unrecoverable.

Reading Relief for an RPAS: Before flying in undulating terrain, trace the contours along your intended flight path, not just at the launch point. A flight that stays at an indicated 300 ft over ground that falls 200 ft away from you is at 500 ft AGL — a breach of CAR 901.25(1)(a) that the telemetry will never show you.

Maximum Elevation Figures (MEF)

Each graticule quadrangle (bounded by lines of latitude and longitude) displays a bold Maximum Elevation Figure (MEF):

• Reading the MEF: Thousands of feet are shown in large bold digits, hundreds in smaller superscript (e.g., a large 4 with a superscript 2 indicates 4,200 feet ASL).
• Calculation Formula: NAV CANADA calculates the MEF by taking the highest natural terrain peak or surveyed obstacle in that quadrangle, adding a safety buffer (minimum 100 ft), and rounding up to the next 100-foot increment.

---

Obstacle Markings & Cultural Features

Aeronautical charts highlight man-made structures that pose collision hazards:

---

The Canada Flight Supplement (CFS)

Published by NAV CANADA every 56 days on the international AIRAC cycle, the Canada Flight Supplement (CFS) is Canada's official civil/military aerodrome directory. RPAS pilots rely on Section B (Aerodrome/Facility Directory) to verify flight constraints:

1. Name & ICAO Identifier: Official facility name and 4-letter code (e.g., CYOW Ottawa).
2. Aerodrome Reference Point (ARP): Geographic coordinates (latitude/longitude) marking the geometric centre of the aerodrome. This is the legal baseline for CAR 901.47 standoffs.
3. Certification Status: Marked CERT (certified airport under CARs Part III) or REG (registered aerodrome).
4. Field Elevation: Elevation in feet ASL of the highest usable runway point (e.g., ELEV 374').
5. Runway Data: Magnetic headings (e.g., RWY 07/25), length/width in feet, and surface material (ASPH, TURF).
6. Lighting & ARCAL: Aircraft Radio Control of Aerodrome Lighting. Type J uses 5 microphone clicks in 5 seconds (15 min medium intensity); Type K uses 7, 5, or 3 clicks for high, medium, or low intensity.
7. Communications: Frequencies for ATIS, Tower, Ground, and traffic frequencies (MF or ATF) with lateral radius (e.g., 5 NM) and vertical ceiling (e.g., 3,000 ft AAE).
8. Caution Remarks: Hazards such as wildlife, glider ops, parachute zones, or non-standard circuits.

---

Operational Application: CAR 901.47 Aerodrome Standoffs

Basic RPAS operators must enforce mandatory buffer distances under CAR 901.47:

• Certified Airports & Military Aerodromes (5.6 km / 3 NM): CAR 901.47(2)(a) requires a minimum 5.6 km (3 NM) standoff from the centre (ARP) of any facility marked CERT in the CFS or operated by the military.
• Certified Heliports (1.9 km / 1 NM): CAR 901.47(2)(b) prohibits a VLOS operation less than 1 NM (1.9 km) from the centre of a heliport — an aerodrome holding a heliport certificate under Subpart 305 of the CARs. Water aerodromes listed in the Water Aerodrome Supplement have no numeric buffer; CAR 901.47(1) instead prohibits interference with the established traffic pattern.
• Uncertified Aerodromes (REG): The 5.6 km standoff does not apply to uncertified aerodromes. However, CAR 901.47(1) prohibits operating at or near an aerodrome listed in the Canada Flight Supplement or Water Aerodrome Supplement in a manner that could interfere with an aircraft in the established traffic pattern.
• Circuit Patterns: Standard circuits use left-hand turns at 1,000 feet Above Aerodrome Elevation (AAE). Non-standard patterns are noted in the CFS (e.g., Rgt tfc rwy 24). RPAS operations must remain clear of runway approach and departure paths.

---

Practical Exam Scenarios

Scenario 1: Obstacle Clearance Analysis

An RPAS pilot plans an aerial survey at a site with a ground elevation of 600 ft ASL. The VNC marks a nearby antenna as 950 (350). At the maximum basic altitude of 400 ft AGL, the drone reaches 1,000 ft ASL (600 + 400), placing it above the tower's peak (950 ft ASL). The pilot must establish a lateral buffer from supporting guy-wires.

Scenario 2: The Registered Aerodrome Trap

A pilot is hired to photograph a farm 3.5 km from an airstrip marked REG in the CFS. Because the airstrip is registered rather than certified, the 5.6 km standoff under CAR 901.47 does not apply. However, under CAR 901.47(1), the pilot must not operate in a manner that could interfere with an aircraft in the established traffic pattern.