Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Other / Unknown
No Specific Anomaly Occurred All Types
General None Reported / Taken
Aircraft; Company Policy; Human Factors
This report is being submitted as a preemptive measure even though no actual event occurred. On this past trip the aircraft was in need of two of the most recent chart revisions for the US; LAM and CA paper Enroute charts which are carried onboard the aircraft. None of the revisions were in stock at our base. These are very important charts to have onboard; especially when operating in foreign countries. I bring this up because I have been told that the company will be discontinuing the use of paper Enroute charts at some point in the future. It appears that there may be a problem in stocking current charts even now. On a recent leg from Costa Rica; we were routed up UIM328 SELEK; UL345 UVA; UG 448 TADPO. In attempting to locate a frequency for Havana on the enroute section of the EFB; we were able to find only one VHF frequency within the communications block of the FIR/UIR boundary icon; but it was not being answered. We did find the correct frequency on the current paper Enroute charts; and Cenamer finally provided it as well. In a later search of the electronic charts the additional frequencies were discovered in the Communications Icon. I don't know if both pilots somehow overlooked this information at the time; or if a subsequent connection to WIFI downloaded the rest of them. The other issue with the EFB is that the digital Enroute charts are all but useless. They require an inordinate amount of time to download and then remain blurry for an additional period of time. Even when they eventually come into focus; it is very difficult to become oriented on these charts. In summary; I suggest that the Enroute paper charts for the US; and all foreign countries in which we operate be adequately stocked in the base and carried onboard the aircraft indefinitely. The approach plates on the EFB's are fantastic tools; but the enroute information may still have some inadequacies. The paper Enroute charts will be a good back up; and they are not difficult to update making the expense; a worthwhile safety feature to our operations.
Hawker 800 Captain believes that paper enroute charts are indispensable and cannot currently be replaced by electronic versions.