NOTAM
Notice to Air Missions
A notice containing information essential for safe flight operations at a specific airport, area, or system.
Notices to Air Missions (formerly Notices to Airmen) carry time-sensitive operational information that pilots need to know before a flight: temporary runway closures, navigation equipment outages, airspace restrictions, GPS RAIM degradation, military training activity, and so on.
NOTAMs are categorized as FDC (regulatory), domestic, international, and military. Pilots are responsible for checking NOTAMs for departure, destination, and en-route airports as part of preflight planning.
NOTAM-checking is a tested item on every pilot certificate practical test. DPEs frequently ask "what NOTAMs apply to today's flight?"
When it matters
NOTAMs are part of the cross-country planning task on every practical test, and a recurring DPE quiz topic.
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