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To convert from statute to nautical miles a factor of .87 is generally used, even though it is
not precise.
To convert from nautical to statute miles: The factor 1.15 may be used, but again, it is not
precise.
For a less precise answer "Chapmans Piloting and Small Boat Handling" suggests:
In the 1930s, radio technology made it possible for pilots to navigate farther distances through
unfamiliar surroundings in reduced visibility. In 1941, the first instrument approach and landing
charts were developed, serving pilots with the need to land in low visibility.
TYPES OF AERONAUTICAL CHARTS
Sectional Chart
The scale of a "sectional" is 1/500,000 so one inch is about seven nautical miles. It usually gives
enough detail to fly by ground reference or pilotage. A sectional shows highways and
railroads, power transmission lines and television and radio towers. It shows lakes, quarries,
race tracks and other landmarks. Sectionals also show information you cannot see on the
ground such as Prohibited, Restricted, Warning, and Alert Areas that have their own special
flight rules.
http://virtualskies.arc.nasa.gov/navigation/8.html
World Aeronautical Chart (WAC)
WAC charts scale is 1/1,000,000 making one inch about fourteen miles. Since WAC charts
cover a larger area not as much detail is shown. WAC charts are used for flights of long
distances.
En Route High Altitude Charts portray Jet routes, distances, time zones, special use airspace, radar jet advisory
areas, and other data. IFR flight plans are necessary for all flights above 18,000 feet.
SCALE (MAP)
The scale of a map is the ratio of a distance on the map to the corresponding distance on
the ground. This simple concept is complicated by the curvature of the Earth's surface, which
forces scale to vary across a map. Because of this variation, the concept of scale becomes
meaningful in two distinct ways. The first way is the ratio of the size of the generating globe to
the size of the Earth. The generating globe is a conceptual model to which the Earth is shrunk
and from which the map is projected.
Map Scales may be expressed in words (a lexical scale), as a ratio, or as a fraction. Examples
are: