wrote:

wrote:


I could not agree more. It's a totally new ongoing expense. It used to
be that pilots were responsible for their own nav data (ie, charts and
plates) and now the club is going to be responsible for it. Just a bit
more squeeze, especially considering that the pilots are still going to
have to have current charts/plates.

It would be better if there were some other suppliers who could provide
database updates -- giving a little competition. I think that some of
the smaller handheld GPS companies don't use Jepp data, but take the
gov't data and reformat it themselves and provide it for their
customers.

Does Jepp have some kind of exclusive contract with the gov't?


No, they have a monopoly by default. No one else wants to assume the
highly technical procedures and liability risks that Jeppesen assumes by
massaging, formatting, and often correcting errors in the government
source.


Why not let the goverment do it? They have the ultimate answer to lawsuits,
they don't care if they get sued, it takes forever, and even if they lose,
they pay with someone else's money.