Definition
An FAA publication containing detailed information about public-use and joint-use airports, heliports, and seaplane bases in the United States. Each entry lists data such as runway dimensions, lighting, communication frequencies, services available, and any local procedures including noise abatement requirements, special traffic patterns, and preferred runways.
Plain English
An official FAA booklet that gives you the practical details for each airport — how long the runways are, what radio frequencies to use, what services are on the field, and any local rules pilots are expected to follow.
Context Anchor
A pilot uses Chart Supplements during preflight planning, especially when checking an airport’s remarks, services, radio information, or local noise-abatement notes.
Derivation
Originally called the Airport/Facility Directory (A/FD), the publication was renamed Chart Supplement in 2016 to reflect its role as a companion to FAA aeronautical charts. 'Supplement' comes from Latin supplementum, meaning 'something added to fill out or complete' — fitting, since the book fills in airport details that won't fit on the charts themselves.
Why Pilots Care
They contain the exact noise abatement instructions, preferred runways, and contact information pilots must follow to operate legally and considerately at many airports.
Intuition Check
Do not think of Chart Supplements as casual extra handouts or optional updates. In this context, they are official FAA reference publications pilots use for airport-specific information.
Example Sentence 1
Before flying into the unfamiliar airport, the pilot reviewed the Chart Supplement for runway lengths, frequencies, and any noise abatement procedures.
Example Sentence 2
During preflight planning, she reviewed the Chart Supplements for any local procedures at the destination airport.