NOTAMS

A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM or NoTAM) is a notice filed with an aviation authority to alert aircraft pilots of potential hazards along a flight route or at a location that could affect the safety of the flight.

Pilots should always check NOTAMS before flights to check that there are no temporary restrictions, or dangers on there planned flight route.

NOTAMs are issued (and reported) for a number of reasons, such as:

  • hazards such as air shows, parachute jumps, kite flying, lasers, rocket launches, etc.
  • flights by important people such as heads of state (sometimes referred to as temporary flight restrictions, TFRs)
  • closed runways
  • inoperable radio navigational aids
  • military exercises with resulting airspace restrictions
  • inoperable lights on tall obstructions
  • temporary erection of obstacles near airfields (e.g., cranes)
  • passage of flocks of birds through airspace (a NOTAM in this category is known as a BIRDTAM)
  • notifications of runway/taxiway/apron status with respect to snow, ice, and standing water (a SNOWTAM)
  • notification of an operationally significant change in volcanic ash or other dust contamination (an ASHTAM)
  • software code risk announcements with associated patches to reduce specific vulnerabilities

All current NOTAMS are listed on the NATS website (HERE)  Registration (Free) is required.

Navigational programs such as SKYDEMON  or  RUNWAYHD will check and display NOTAMS when updated on the Internet