Definition
Aeronautical charts designed for use under visual flight rules (VFR), depicting terrain, obstacles, airports, airspace boundaries, navigation aids, and visual landmarks used for pilotage. Common examples include VFR Sectional Charts, VFR Terminal Area Charts, and World Aeronautical Charts.
Plain English
Maps made for pilots flying by looking outside the aircraft. They show what you can see and avoid from the cockpit — towns, rivers, towers, mountains, airports, and the boundaries of different types of airspace.
Context Anchor
Seen during preflight planning, especially when checking a route for special use airspace shown on FAA chart products.
Derivation
From Latin visus, 'sight.' These are charts built around what the pilot can see — landmarks and terrain — rather than charts built around radio navigation procedures.
Why Pilots Care
Allows safe routing around restricted or prohibited areas by confirming their location relative to visible ground features.
Intuition Check
Do not read visual charts as “any chart you can look at.” In this context, visual means chart products intended mainly for visual flight planning and navigation, not instrument procedure charts.
Example Sentence 1
Before requesting a route through the military operations area, the pilot checked the visual chart to confirm the boundaries and floor of the airspace.
Example Sentence 2
On a clear day the student used visual charts to follow rivers and highways toward the destination airport.