Programmatically retrieving VFR/IFR Charts from FAA

Question

I am trying do the following: Subscribe and be alerted when a new version of the VFR and IFR charts are available from the following websites: https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/digital_products/vfr/ https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/digital_products/ifr/

If a new version is available, download all zip flies from the ""Next Edition"" columns which are the following:

Sectional Set Terminal Area Set Helicopter Set Grand Canyon Set Caribbean Set Planning Set"

If a new version is available, go to the FAA website for IFR Charts, and select the "56-Day Sets" Download the zip file in the "Next Edition" column "DDECUS XXX".

Is there an API that will allow me to do that?

Answer 1

I happened to be looking for the exact same thing and just found out about the FAA data portal; have you given that a try? There are even API explorers linked for most digital chart services on that page.

It appears for what you described, you should at least be able to poll the various /info endpoints, and retrieve as new cycle becomes available. For example (use accept: application/json instead for JSON responses):

$ curl -s -X GET 'https://soa.smext.faa.gov/apra/dec/info?edition=current' -H 'accept: application/xml' | xmllint --format -
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<productSet xmlns="http://arpa.ait.faa.gov/arpa_response">
  <status code="200" message="OK"/>
  <edition geoname="US" editionName="CURRENT" format="ZIP">
    <editionDate>11/03/2022</editionDate>
    <editionNumber>73</editionNumber>
  </edition>
</productSet>

Then

$ curl -s -X GET 'https://soa.smext.faa.gov/apra/dec/chart?edition=current' -H 'accept: application/xml' | xmllint --format -
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<productSet xmlns="http://arpa.ait.faa.gov/arpa_response">
  <status code="200" message="OK"/>
  <edition geoname="US" editionName="CURRENT" format="ZIP">
    <editionDate>11/03/2022</editionDate>
    <editionNumber>73</editionNumber>
    <product productName="DEC" chartName="DDECUS.zip" url="https://aeronav.faa.gov/enroute/11-03-2022/DDECUS.zip"/>
  </edition>
</productSet>

... and there's the download URL, no auth required.