Definition
Aeronautical charts published by the FAA for visual navigation under Visual Flight Rules (VFR), drawn at a scale of 1:500,000. Each chart depicts terrain elevation, airports, airspace boundaries and classifications, navigation aids, obstructions, and other features relevant to VFR flight within a specific geographic region of the United States.
Plain English
Detailed paper or digital maps used by pilots flying visually. They show what the ground looks like, where airports are, which areas of sky have special rules, and where towers or other obstacles stand.
Context Anchor
Pilots use sectional charts during preflight planning, when talking with Flight Service, and when checking airports, routes, airspace, and obstacles before or during a flight.
Derivation
A 'section' originally meant a piece cut from a larger whole. Each sectional chart covers one section of the country, so the full set tiles together to cover the United States.
Why Pilots Care
They supply the visual references needed to navigate safely and stay clear of hazards and restricted airspace under VFR.
Intuition Check
“Sectional” does not mean the chart is incomplete or unofficial. It means the chart covers one published geographic section at a standard aviation scale.
Example Sentence 1
Before the cross-country flight, she spread the sectional chart across the table to check terrain and airspace along her route.
Example Sentence 2
She reviewed the sectional charts with the briefer to confirm the route avoided military training areas.