Contact | Sitemap | Forum | Facebook | Twitter
Contact | Forum | Facebook | Twitter

How to find and understand NOTAMs

What are NOTAMs and where can i find them?



What are NOTAMs?
NOTAM stands for 'Notice to Airmen' and are used to alert aircraft pilots of potential hazards along a flight route or at a location that could affect the safety of the flight.

NOTAMs can also be useful for aviation enthusiasts to give them advanced notice about any upcoming events which involve aircraft such as air displays, flypasts and even the route taken by the Red Arrows as they transit to an air show or perform a flypast.

Where can i find NOTAMs?
There are several websites where you can find NOTAMs which are listed below:

NATS/Aeronautical Information Service.
FAA.Gov.
notaminfo.com.
notaminfo.com (UK Map).

NATS/AIS
NATS/AIS
FAA.Gov
FAA.Gov

NATS/Aeronautical Information Service (NATS/AIS), commonly referred to as NATS, is the main air navigation service provider in the United Kingdom. Although this is the best and fastest way to get up-to-date NOTAMs, you will have to register to use this website. Select 'Area PIB' (Pre-Flight Briefing > PIB by Type > Area PIB) and you will need to enter the ICAO codes (FIRs) - EGTT and EGPX to view UK NOTAMs and set the Validity Period (how far ahead you want to view the NOTAMs).

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation. You can access UK NOTAMs on this website by using the following ICAO Identifiers:- EGTT and EGPX. You do not have to register to use this website.

The website notaminfo.com is very easy to use and allows you to access NOTAMs in text or displayed on a map. You can view the NOTAM's on a specific day, up to seven days ahead. Below is a list of countries where you can find NOTAM text or maps on notaminfo.com:

Austria - Text - Map.
Belgium - Text - Map.
Denmark - Text - Map.
France - Text - Map.
Germany - Text - Map.
Iceland - Text - Map.
Ireland - Text - Map.
Italy - Text - Map.
Netherlands - Text - Map.
Norway - Text - Map.
Portugal - Text - Map.
Spain - Text - Map.
Sweden - Text - Map.
Switzerland - Text - Map.
United Kingdom - Text - Map.
UK & Channel Islands - Text - Map.

Click 'Text' for NOTAMs or click 'Map' for NOTAMs on a map.

Notaminfo.com
Notaminfo.com text
Notaminfo.com
Notaminfo.com map

What does ICAO Identifier and FIRs mean?
The ICAO code or FIR (Flight information region) is a four character code which refers to the region that you want to recieve NOTAMs for. For example, to see NOTAMs for the United Kingdom then you would need to use the codes:- EGTT (LONDON Flight information region) and EGPX (SCOTTISH Flight information region). To see NOTAMs for France then you would use LFBB (Bordeaux region), LFEE (Reims region), LFFF (Paris region), LFMM (Marseille region) and LFRR (Brest region). A list of Flight information regions can be found here.

How do i find flypasts, air displays or Red Arrows in the NOTAMs?
When viewing the NOTAMs text, which usually consists of a lot of data, then it's best to use the file search in your browser. Typing CTRL-F on your keyboard is a shortcut for searching for words or phrases. Typing 'Red Arrows' or just 'Arrows' will find any Red Arrows NOTAMs, or 'Air Display' will find any Air Displays or air shows. Typing 'Flypast' will find many flypasts and many of these will be Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) flypasts. Typing 'Battle of Britain' may also find BBMF flypasts. If you type 'performance' then it usually finds the RAF Typhoon practice times at RAF Coningsby or RAF Scampton and typing 'routing' may find a route such as a Red Arrows transit flight.

How do i decode and understand a NOTAM?
Below is an example of a NATS/AIS NOTAM for a Red Arrows display:

Q)EGTT/QWVLW/IV/M/W/000/030/5047N00117W027
B)2110201624 C)2110201723
E)FORMATION TRANSIT BY RED ARROWS ACFT ROUTING:
504642N 0015040W BOURNEMOUTH AD 1634
504007N 0014744W S OF BOURNEMOUTH 1636
503322N 0014450W OVERSEA 1637
503252N 0011617W S OF ST CATHERINES POINT 1640
503856N 0005959W OVERSEA 1642
503902N 0004409W OVERSEA 1643
504743N 0004309W N OF BOGNOR REGIS 1645
504821N 0005722W VCY OF HAYLING ISLAND 1647
504821N 0010656W PORTSMOUTH DISPLAY 1648
504822N 0011622W W OF LEE ON SOLENT 1708
504812N 0014204W NE OF THORNEY HILL 1710
504642N 0015040W BOURNEMOUTH AD 1713
FORMATION PLANS TO TRANSIT AT 250-2000FT AGL. TIMINGS, HGT AND
ROUTE ARE APRX AND MAY CHANGE DUE TO WX OR OTHER REQUIREMENTS. SEE
J SERIES NOTAM FOR DETAILS OF RESTRICTED AREA(TEMP) AT PORTSMOUTH
FOR RED ARROWS DISPLAY. 2021-10-0448/AS1
F)SFC G)3000FT AMSL

Q) = Contains various qualifiers to assist in the processing of NOTAM by automatic message handling systems.
B) = Start date of NOTAM - 20th October 2021 at 5.24pm (added 1 hour for British Summer Time).
C) = End date of NOTAM - 20th October 2021 at 6.23pm (added 1 hour for British Summer Time).
E) = Description - Formation Transit by the Red Arrows.
The Red Arrows are to display at Portsmouth at 5.48pm (added 1 hour for British Summer Time).
F) & G) = Height/altitude restrictions - SFC means ground level and 3,000ft is upper limit.
The Red Arrows route is approximate and may change due to the weather or other requirements.

The characters such as 504642N 0015040W are co-ordinates of waypoints or the base they take-off or land at. To view the exact location of a waypoint then you can use Google Maps and enter the co-ordinates in the following format:
50 46 42N 001 50 40W.


NOTAM Times
The times are usually in GMT/Zulu time unless otherwise stated and during the Summer months it may need to be converted to BST (British Summer Time) by adding 1 hour.

Transit height is from 250ft to 2,000ft and Timings, height and route may change due to bad weather or other requirements.

The NOTAM states that there will be a display by the Red Arrows over Portsmouth, the co-ordinates are 504821N 0010656W and the time is 1648 (which is 5.48pm BST).

The NOTAMS will be displayed slightly differently depending on which NOTAMS website that you use.

Disclaimer
NOTAMs such as a Red Arrows Transit can be cancelled at short notice or the route/timings may change slightly due to poor weather or operational reasons, so they are not always accurate.








Flight Information Regions

FIR Codes:
AGGG - Honiara - Solomon Islands
ANAU - Nauru - Nauru
AYPM - Port Moresby - Papua New Guinea
BGGL - Nuuk - Greenland (Denmark)
BIRD - Reykjavik - Iceland
CZEG - Edmonton - Canada
CZQM - Moncton Southern - Canada
CZQX - Gander Domestic - Canada
CZUL - Montreal - Canada
CZVR - Vancouver - Canada
CZWG - Winnipeg - Canada
CZYZ - Toronto - Canada
DAAA - Alger - Algeria
DGAC - -ra - Ghana
DIII - Abidjan - Ivory Coast
DNKK - Kano - Nigeria
DRRR - Niamey - Niger
DTTC - Tunis - Tunisia
EZZZ - Eurocontrol Belgium
EBBU - Brussels - Belgium and Luxembourg
EDGG - Langen - Germany
EDMM - Munich - Germany
EDUU - Rhein - Germany
EDVV - Hannover - Germany
EDWW - Bremen - Germany
EDYY - Maastricht - Belgium/ Germany/ Netherlands
EETT - Tallinn - Estonia
EFIN - Helsinki - Finland
EGGX - Shanwick Oceanic OCA United Kingdom
EGPX - Scottish - United Kingdom
EGQQ - Scottish - (Mil) United Kingdom
EGTT - London - United Kingdom
EHAA - Amsterdam - Netherlands
EISN - Shannon - Republic of Ireland Ireland
EKDK - Copenhagen - Denmark
ENOB - Bodo Oceanic OCA Norway
ENOR - Polaris - Norway
EPWW - Warszawa - Poland
ESAA - Suecia - Sweden
ESMM - Malmo - Sweden
ESOS - Stockholm - Sweden
EVRR - Riga - Latvia
EYVL - Vilnius - Lithuania
FABL - Bloemfontein - South Africa
FACA - Cape Town - South Africa
FACT - Cape Town - South Africa
FADN - Durban - South Africa
FAJO - Johannesburg Oceanic - South Africa
FAJX - Johannesburg - South Africa
FAPX - Port Elizabeth - South Africa
FBGR - Gaborone - Botswana
FCCC - Brazzaville - Republic of the Congo
FIMM - Mauritius - Mauritius
FKKK - Douala - Cameroon
FLFI - Lusaka - Zambia
FMCX - Comoros - Comoros
FMMM - Antananarivo - Madagascar
FNAN - Luanda - Angola
FOOO - Libreville - Gabon
FQBE - Beira - Mozambique
FSSS - Seychelles - Seychelles
FTTT - N'Djamena - Chad
FVHF - Harare - Zimbabwe
FWLL - Lilongwe - Malawi
FYWF - Windhoek - Namibia
FZZA - Kinshasa - Democratic Republic of the Congo
GCCC - Canarias - Spain
GLRB - Roberts - Liberia
GMMM - Casablanca - Morocco
GOOO - Dakar Oceanic - Senegal
GVSC - Sal Oceanic - Cape Verde
HAAA - Addis Ababa - Ethiopia
HBBA - Bujumbura - Burundi
HCSM - Mogadishu - Somalia
HECC - Cairo - Egypt
HHAA - Asmara - Egypt
HKNA - Nairobi - Kenya
HLLL - Tripoli - Libya
HRYR - Kigali - Rwanda
HSSX - Khartoum - Sudan
HTDC - Dar Es Salaam - Tanzania
HUEC - Entebbe - Uganda
KZAB - Albuquerque - United States
KZAK - Oakland Oceanic - United States
KZAU - Chicago - United States
KZBW - Boston - United States
KZDC - Washington - United States
KZDV - Denver - United States
KZFW - Ft Worth - United States
KZHU - Houston - United States
KZID - Indianapolis - United States
KZJX - Jacksonville - United States
KZKC - Kansas City - United States
KZLA - Los Angeles - United States
KZLC - Salt Lake - United States
KZMA - Miami - United States
KZME - Memphis - United States
KZMP - Minneapolis - United States
KZNY - New York - United States
KZOA - Oakland - United States
KZOB - Cleveland - United States
KZSE - Seattle - United States
KZTL - Atlanta - United States
KZWY - New York Oceanic - United States
LAAA - Tirana - Albania
LBSR - Sofia - Bulgaria
LBWR - Varna - Bulgaria
LCCC - Nicosia - Cyprus
LDZO - Zagreb - Croatia
LECB - Barcelona - Spain
LECM - Madrid - Spain
LECS - Sevilla - Spain
LFBB - Bordeaux - France
LFEE - Reims - France
LFFF - Paris - France
LFMM - Marseille - France
LFRR - Brest - France
LGGG - Athens - Greece
LHCC - Budapest - Hungary
LIBB - Brindisi - Italy
LIMM - Milano - Italy
LIRR - Roma - Italy
LJLA - Ljubljana - Slovenia
LKAA - Praha - Czech Republic
LLLL - Tel-Aviv - Israel
LMMM - Malta - Malta
LOVV - Wien - Austria
LPPC - Lisboa - Portugal
LPPO - Santa Maria Oceanic - Portugal
LQSB - Sarajevo - Bosnia and Herzegovina
LRBB - Bucuresti - Romania
LSAG - Geneve - Switzerland
LSAS - Switzerland - Switzerland
LSAZ - Zurich - Switzerland
LTAA - Ankara - Turkey
LTBB - Istanbul - Turkey
LUUU - Chisinau - Moldova
LWSS - Skopje - North Macedonia
LYBA - Beograd - Serbia
LZBB - Bratislava - Slovakia
MDCS - Santo Domingo - Dominican Republic
MHTG - Central American - Honduras
MKJK - Kingston - Jamaica
MMFO - Mazatlan Oceanic - Mexico
MMFR - Mexico - Mexico
MPZL - Panama - Panama
MTEG - Port-Au-Prince - Haiti
MUFH - Habana - Cuba
MYNA - Nassau - Bahamas
NFFF - Nadi - Fiji
NTTT - Tahiti - France French Polynesia
NWWX - Noumea - France New Caledonia
NZZC - New Zealand - New Zealand
NZZO - Auckland Oceanic - New Zealand
OAKX - Kabul - Afghanistan
OBBB - Bahrain - Bahrain
OEJD - Jeddah - Saudi Arabia
OIIX - Tehran - Iran
OJAC - Amman - Jordan
OKAC - Kuwait - Kuwait
OLBB - Beirut - Lebanon
OMAE - Emirates - United Arab Emirates
OOMM - Muscat - Oman
OPKR - Karachi - Pakistan
OPLR - Lahore - Pakistan
ORBB - Baghdad - Iraq
ORMM - ORMM - Iraq
OSTT - Damascus - Syria
OYSC - Sanaa - Yemen
PAZA - Anchorage - United States
PAZN - Anchorage Oceanic - United States
PHZH - Honolulu - United States
RCAA - Taipei - Taiwan
RJJJ - Fukuoka - Japan
RKRR - Incheon - South Korea
RPHI - Manila - Philippines
SACF - Cordoba - Argentina
SACU - Cordoba - Argentina
SAEF - Ezeiza - Argentina
SAEU - Ezeiza - Argentina
SAMF - Mendoza - Argentina
SAMV - Mendoza - Argentina
SARR - Resistencia - Argentina
SAVF - Comodoro Rivadavia - Argentina
SAVU - Comodoro Rivadavia - Argentina
SBAO - Atlantico - Brazil
SBAZ - Amazonica - Brazil
SBBS - Brasilia - Brazil
SBCW - Curitiba - Brazil
SBRE - Recife - Brazil
SCCZ - Punta Arenas - Chile
SCEZ - Santiago - Chile
SCFZ - Antofagasta - Chile
SCIZ - Easter I. - Chile
SCTZ - Puerto Montt - Chile
SEFG - Guayaquil - Ecuador
SGFA - Asuncion - Paraguay
SKEC - Barranquilla - Colombia
SKED - Bogota - Colombia
SLLF - La Paz - Bolivia
SMPM - Paramaribo - Suriname
SOOO - Rochambeau - France French Guiana
SPIM - Lima - Peru
SUEO - Montevideo - Uruguay
SVZM - Maiquetia - Venezuela
SYGC - Georgetown - Guyana
TJZS - San Juan - United States
TNCF - Curacao - Netherlands Netherlands Antilles
TTZP - Piarco - Trinidad and Tobago
UAAX - Almaty - Kazakhstan
UACX - Astana - Kazakhstan
UAFX - Bishkek - Kyrgyzstan
UASS - Semipalatinsk - Kazakhstan
UDDD - Yerevan - Armenia
UEMH - Tyoply Klyuch - Russia
UENN - Nyurba - Russia
UESS - Chersky - Russia
UESU - Zyryanka - Russia
UEVV - Gigansk - Russia
UGEE - Yerevan/Zvartnots - Russia
UGGG - Tbilisi - Georgia
UHBI - Magdagachi - Russia
UHBI - Magdagachi - Russia
UHHH - Khabarovsk/Novy Russia
UHMI - Mys Shmidta - Russia
UHMM - Magadan Oceanic Russia
UHMP - Pevek - Russia
UHNN - Nikolayevsk-na-Amure - Russia
UHPT - Tilichiki - Russia
UHPU - Ust-Khairyozovo - Russia
UHSH - Okha - Russia
UIKB - Bodaybo - Russia
UIKK - Kirensk - Russia
UKBV - Kyiv - Ukraine
UKCV - Donetsk - Ukraine
UKDV - Dnepropetrovsk - Ukraine
UKFV - Simferopol - Ukraine
UKHV - Kharkiv - Ukraine
UKLV - Lviv - Ukraine
UKOV - Odesa - Ukraine
ULLL - Sankt Peterburg - Russia
ULOL - Velikiye Luki - Russia
UMKD - Kazan - Russia
UMMV - Minsk - Belarus
UNLL - Kolpashevo - Russia
UOTT - Turukhansk - Russia
URRV - Rostov-Na-Donu - Russia
USDK - Mys Kamenny - Russia
USHB - Beryozovo - Russia
USHH - Khanty-Mansiysk - Russia
UTAK - Turkmenbashi - Turkmenistan
UTNR - Nukus - Uzbekistan
UTSD - Samarkand - Uzbekistan
UTTR - Tashkent - Uzbekistan
UUWV - Moscow - Russia
UUYW - Vorkuta - Russia
UUYY - Syktyvkar - Russia
UWOO - Orenburg/Tsentralny - Russia
VABF - Mumbai - India
VCCC - Colombo - Sri Lanka
VDPF - Phnom Penh - Cambodia
VECF - Kolkata - India
VGFR - Dhaka - Bangladesh
VHHK - Hong Kong - Hong Kong
VIDF - Delhi - India
VLIV - Vientiane - Laos
VLVT - Vientiane - Laos
VNSM - Kathmandu - Nepal
VOMF - Chennai - India
VRMF - Male - Maldives
VTBB - Bangkok - Thailand
VVHM - Ho Chi Minh - Vietnam
VVHN - Hanoi - Vietnam
VYMD - Myanmar
VYYF - Yangon - Myanmar
WAAF - Ujung Pandang Indonesia
WAAZ - Ujung Pandang - Indonesia
WABZ - Biak Sector Indonesia
WADZ - Bali Sector Indonesia
WAJZ - Indonesia
WAKZ - Merauke Sector Indonesia
WALZ - Balikpapan Sector Indonesia
WAMZ - Manado Sector Indonesia
WAOZ - Banjarmasin Sector Indonesia
WAPZ - Ambon Sector Indonesia
WATZ - Kupang Sector Indonesia
WBFC - Kota Kinabalu - Brunei / Malaysia
WIIF - Jakarta Indonesia
WIIZ - Jakarta - Indonesia
WIMZ - Medan Sector Indonesia
WIOZ - Pontianak Sector Indonesia
WIPZ - Palembang Sector Indonesia
WMFC - Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia
WSJC - Singapore - Singapore
YBBB - Brisbane - Australia
YMMM - Melbourne - Australia
ZBPE - Beijing - China
ZGJD - Zhuhai - China
ZGZU - Guangzhou - China
ZHWH - Wuhan - China
ZJSA - Sanya - China
ZKKP - Pyongyang - North Korea
ZLHW - Lanzhou - China
ZMUB - Ulan Bator - Mongolia
ZPKM - Kunming - China
ZSHA - Shanghai - China
ZWUQ - Urumqi - China
ZYSH - Shenyang - China