Map explanation

[Aussieflyer38]

Can somebody tell me what the various abbreviations on, well, MSFS VFR map are. I can navigate my way around okay but often look at places on the map marked like PWL, CT, IGN, 

I assume that they relate to the type of airport or is that their ICAO and that they are a minor/small airport/airfield. 

Thanks for any input and satisfying my curious nature. All the years I've been simming, and it's only now it's got me wondering. 

 

Don 

[Perk]

Do you have one of the many map addons, or are you just talking about the built in MSFS map that pops up when you hit "v" on the keyboard?

A three letter airport code is going to be an FAA or IATA code not an ICAO code.  PWL would be Purwokerto Airport on Java in Indonesia.  It's IACO code is WICP.  IGN would be Iligan Airport on Mindanao in the Philippines (ICAO RPMI). 

 

CT wouldn't be a valid airport code under either notation system.  On a full up FAA Sectional or Terminal Area Chart "CT" would indicate the Control Tower frequency for a towered airport.  Common Traffic Advisory Frequencies (CTAF) are denoted by a circled "C" symbol.

 

Three letter identifiers on FAA charts are VOR Navaids.  PWL is the Pawling VOR-DME  and IGN is the Kingston VOR-DME  in New York State.  These are omnidirectional radio beacons that you can tune into with a Nav radio that broadcast the bearing to/from the radio beacon and in the case of VOR-DMEs and VORTACs also provide distance from the beacon.

If you're interested the FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (PHAK) chapter 16 tells all about navigating with VORs and other radio navigation aids:
https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/phak
https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/phak/18_phak_ch16.pdf

The FAA Chart Users Guide goes over all the symbology, but it's also in the Legend on a given Sectional.  Page 23 for VFR charts:
https://aeronav.faa.gov/user_guide/20221103/cug-complete.pdf
 

If you're using Skyvector for charts, you can also change from "WorldVFR" to the specific Sectional chart for the area by clicking on the location name in the upper right.  That will display just the local chart instead of merging multiple charts together, but it does give you the legends at the side like a paper chart.

Sectional Legend.  Note the "CT - 118.3" which indicates the tower frequency for an airport:

 

Example of a Control Tower (CT) Frequency depicted on a Sectional Chart - in this case 124.75 for Spirit of St. Louis Airport (FAA: SUS, IACO: KSUS) in St. Louis, MO.

I assume these are the two VOR-DMEs you're seeing - PWL and IGN.  The three letter codes are the abbreviations for the Navaids - all info for the VOR will be depicted inside a blue box as below - in this case 114.3 is the Nav radio frequency, Ch 90 is the military radio channel, PWL is the three letter identifier, and the dots and dashes are the Morse code identifier that is broadcast by the beacon.  You can turn the audio on for your Nav radio and listen for the dots and dashes to verify you have the right station tuned in.

Edited November 3, 2022 by Perk

[wolfko]

6 hours ago, Perk said:

Do you have one of the many map addons, or are you just talking about the built in MSFS map that pops up when you hit "v" on the keyboard?

A three letter airport code is going to be an FAA or IATA code not an ICAO code.  PWL would be Purwokerto Airport on Java in Indonesia.  It's IACO code is WICP.  IGN would be Iligan Airport on Mindanao in the Philippines (ICAO RPMI). 

 

CT wouldn't be a valid airport code under either notation system.  On a full up FAA Sectional or Terminal Area Chart "CT" would indicate the Control Tower frequency for a towered airport.  Common Traffic Advisory Frequencies (CTAF) are denoted by a circled "C" symbol.

 

Three letter identifiers on FAA charts are VOR Navaids.  PWL is the Pawling VOR-DME  and IGN is the Kingston VOR-DME  in New York State.  These are omnidirectional radio beacons that you can tune into with a Nav radio that broadcast the bearing to/from the radio beacon and in the case of VOR-DMEs and VORTACs also provide distance from the beacon.

If you're interested the FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (PHAK) chapter 16 tells all about navigating with VORs and other radio navigation aids:
https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/phak
https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/phak/18_phak_ch16.pdf

The FAA Chart Users Guide goes over all the symbology, but it's also in the Legend on a given Sectional.  Page 23 for VFR charts:
https://aeronav.faa.gov/user_guide/20221103/cug-complete.pdf
 

If you're using Skyvector for charts, you can also change from "WorldVFR" to the specific Sectional chart for the area by clicking on the location name in the upper right.  That will display just the local chart instead of merging multiple charts together, but it does give you the legends at the side like a paper chart.

Sectional Legend.  Note the "CT - 118.3" which indicates the tower frequency for an airport:

 

Example of a Control Tower (CT) Frequency depicted on a Sectional Chart - in this case 124.75 for Spirit of St. Louis Airport (FAA: SUS, IACO: KSUS) in St. Louis, MO.

I assume these are the two VOR-DMEs you're seeing - PWL and IGN.  The three letter codes are the abbreviations for the Navaids - all info for the VOR will be depicted inside a blue box as below - in this case 114.3 is the Nav radio frequency, Ch 90 is the military radio channel, PWL is the three letter identifier, and the dots and dashes are the Morse code identifier that is broadcast by the beacon.  You can turn the audio on for your Nav radio and listen for the dots and dashes to verify you have the right station tuned in.

 

Lots of labour has gone into this post. 

[wain71]

I agree, a very well thought out answer....

[Rob Abernathy]

Thanks for the great info!  I'm bookmarking the links as well.

[Aussieflyer38]

Thanks Perk, I really appreciate you taking the time to post such a comprehensive and detailed reply. I took those "abbreviations" from MSFS "V" map. I found (Google), IGN to be RPMI Maria Cristina Airport, so obviously not a ICAO and PWL I think was WICP in Indonesia, if I interpreted them correctly, which I obviously haven't. Initially I thought they may have been saying the type of surface or something of that nature as they were well out of the metro area's. Thanks again for that info, I'll get into that the first thing next week. I'm flying to Sydney in the early am tomorrow, so won't get a chance before then.

 

Don

[W2DR]

One of the best posts I've ever seen. So many of us can benefit from this answer. Please make it a sticky

[W2DR]

Thanks Doug..........

[Gulfstreamtwo]

Here's a link to the FAA Chart User's Guide, which explains every chart symbol in use for VFR as well as IFR charts. Non-US charts use generally similar symbology: Aeronautical Chart Users' Guide (faa.gov) . Under the Introduction section, you'll find links to current downloadable versions of all FAA VFR and IFR charts.

 

Here's a link to searchable IFR approach, departure, and arrival procedures, plusairport diagrams: Instrument Flight Procedures Information Gateway (faa.gov)