Aeronautical chart presentation is deemed inadequate by reporter.

Attributes
ACN	165380
Time
Date	199009
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	165380
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Chart Or Publication
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Publication	Unspecified

Narrative:

I'm working (laboring) under the impression that anything that tends to 'bury' a pilot's head in the cockpit is inherently bad. Anything that keeps a pilot's head up and on the swivel is good. And that approach plates are designed for the end user (pilot), not the office that builds them (FAA/commercial). When a pilot opens his book to an airport to view '10-9 airport' it lays on the right side of the book. Nice and easy to read and understand the airport layout and txwys etc. Now here is the glitch: if the airport had a gate layout from airport layout to gate layout requires page flipping. But if 10-9B had pages reversed (ie, picture and coordinates) FLIP-flopped, then the pilot can have both pictures, 10-9 and 10-9B open to view at the same time. Thereby avoiding having to come inside to FLIP pages to view both layout and gate layout. What I end up doing is putting holes on my 10-9B plate so I can put them both in view at the same time. See enclosed sample. Why can't 10-9B be printed in the future with holes on the other side?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AERO CHART PRESENTATION IS DEEMED INADEQUATE BY REPORTER.

Narrative: I'M WORKING (LABORING) UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT ANYTHING THAT TENDS TO 'BURY' A PLT'S HEAD IN THE COCKPIT IS INHERENTLY BAD. ANYTHING THAT KEEPS A PLT'S HEAD UP AND ON THE SWIVEL IS GOOD. AND THAT APCH PLATES ARE DESIGNED FOR THE END USER (PLT), NOT THE OFFICE THAT BUILDS THEM (FAA/COMMERCIAL). WHEN A PLT OPENS HIS BOOK TO AN ARPT TO VIEW '10-9 ARPT' IT LAYS ON THE R SIDE OF THE BOOK. NICE AND EASY TO READ AND UNDERSTAND THE ARPT LAYOUT AND TXWYS ETC. NOW HERE IS THE GLITCH: IF THE ARPT HAD A GATE LAYOUT FROM ARPT LAYOUT TO GATE LAYOUT REQUIRES PAGE FLIPPING. BUT IF 10-9B HAD PAGES REVERSED (IE, PICTURE AND COORDINATES) FLIP-FLOPPED, THEN THE PLT CAN HAVE BOTH PICTURES, 10-9 AND 10-9B OPEN TO VIEW AT THE SAME TIME. THEREBY AVOIDING HAVING TO COME INSIDE TO FLIP PAGES TO VIEW BOTH LAYOUT AND GATE LAYOUT. WHAT I END UP DOING IS PUTTING HOLES ON MY 10-9B PLATE SO I CAN PUT THEM BOTH IN VIEW AT THE SAME TIME. SEE ENCLOSED SAMPLE. WHY CAN'T 10-9B BE PRINTED IN THE FUTURE WITH HOLES ON THE OTHER SIDE?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.