Definition
An FAA publication, issued in regional volumes and updated every 56 days, that lists detailed information about airports, seaplane bases, and heliports in the United States. Entries include runway data, lighting, communications frequencies, services available, airport diagrams, special procedures, and airport remarks not shown on aeronautical charts.
Plain English
An official FAA booklet that gives pilots all the practical details about airports — runways, radio frequencies, fuel, services, and any special notes — that don't fit on a chart.
Context Anchor
Pilots use the Chart Supplement during flight planning and sometimes in flight when checking airport details or services.
Derivation
Formerly called the Airport/Facility Directory (A/FD). Renamed Chart Supplement in 2016 to clarify that it supplements the aeronautical charts pilots already use, providing the airport-specific detail the chart itself can't show.
Why Pilots Care
Supplies runway lengths, frequencies, services, and procedures pilots must know to operate safely at each airport.
Intuition Check
Do not think of “Supplement” as an optional extra with minor information. In aviation, the Chart Supplement can contain important operational details a pilot is expected to check.
Example Sentence 1
Before the cross-country flight, the student checked the Chart Supplement to confirm the destination airport's fuel hours and CTAF frequency.
Example Sentence 2
During preflight planning she checked the Chart Supplement for the destination airport's CTAF and hours of operation.