I've been using airnav.com for researching fuel prices for some time
now, but I just noticed that they have added .pdf files of the
instrument approaches at the airports in their data base. This is
very convenient, but how do you determine that a stand-alone
procedure is current? If you go to Santa Barbara, SBA, and download
the ILS RWY 7 procedure, the top of the page shows "AL-378(FAA)", and
the bottom shows "Amdt 4 04106". Neither of these alpha-numeric codes
tells me that the procedure is from the current set. Only the airport
page has date information which says: "FAA Information Effective 15
April 2004". If you want to use the procedure, you have to trust
airnav.com, unless there is another way to verify that the procedure
is current. Anyone know how? Thanks.

Mike,

 

Good question.  I see that AIRNAVs plates are "electronic" since the pdf is so crisp and clean.  I usually get plates from the AOPA site - these seem to be pdf copies of those printed on paper and are much fuzzier but the collection date ( i.e. SE 1 15 APR 04) appears in the margin.  Also, AIRNAV only provides the airport approach plates while AOPA provides the entire contents of the terminal procedures publication including alt mins, arrival/departure procedures, etc.

 

I have e-mailed AIRNAV with your query.