Section 2. Scope

1-2-1. POLICY

Authorized personnel assigned to facilities that collect and/or disseminate NOTAMs must be familiar with the provisions of this order that pertain to their operational responsibilities.

a. The United States NOTAM Office (USNOF) is the authority ensuring NOTAM formats. To ensure NOTAMs are issued consistent with NOTAM Policy, submitters must comply with USNOF personnel directions.

b. All NOTAMs will be processed, stored and distributed by the United States NOTAM System (USNS).

c. Prior civil “L” NOTAMs will be reclassified as “D” NOTAMs (Military L series will remain unchanged).

d. For the purpose of NOTAMs, the term Movement Area includes Runways, Taxiways, Ramps, Aprons, and Helipads.

e. All D NOTAMs must have one of the following keywords as the first part of the text:

RWY, TWY, APRON, AD, OBST, NAV, COM, SVC, AIRSPACE, ODP, SID, STAR, CHART, DATA, IAP, VFP, ROUTE, SPECIAL, or (O).

1. RWY (Runway). Keyword used to describe a hazard associated with landing and takeoff surfaces to include runway lighting, signage, and other airport services or attributes associated with a specific runway.

EXAMPLES-
!STL STL RWY 12L/30R CLSD EXC TAXI

!LEX LEX RWY 5 REIL OTS

!PRC SJN RWY 13/31 NOW RWY 14/32

!BWI BWI RWY 28 RVR OTS

2. TWY (Taxiway). Keyword used to describe a hazard pertaining to taxiway, taxiway lighting, and signage.

EXAMPLES-
!LNS LNS TWY A LGTS OTS
!DSM DSM TWY P1, P3 CLSD

EXAMPLE-
!DSM DSM RAMP SOUTH CARGO RAMP CLSD

3. APRON (Apron/Ramp).

EXAMPLES-
!ATL ATL APRON NORTH TWY L3 APRON CLSD

!BNA BNA APRON NORTH APRON CLSD

!DSM DSM APRON SOUTH CARGO RAMP CLSD

4. AD (Aerodrome). Keyword used to describe a hazard or potential hazard on or within 5 statute miles of an airport, heliport, helipad, or maneuvering area.

EXAMPLES-
!LAL LAL AD GRASS LDG STRIP LCTD 400 S RWY 9R/27L 1700 X 55 AVBL VMC DALGT PPR SUN N FUN WEF 0804151100-0804232359

!CDB AK05 AD CLSD PERM

!RIU O88 AD HELI DCMSND

!AOO PA06 AD CLSD TSNT

!BET BET AD CLSD EXC SKI

!AOO 29D AD CLSD EXC PPR 0330-1430 MON-FRI

!BUF D67 AD CLSD EXC HI-WING

!CEW CEW AD CLSD WEF 0709041400-0709041800

!CDB AKA AD OPEN

5. OBST (Obstructions). Keyword used to describe a hazard caused by a moored balloon, kite, tower, crane, stack, obstruction, or obstruction lighting outage.

EXAMPLES-
!MIV N52 OBST TOWER 580 (305 AGL) 7 SW LGTS OTS (ASR NUMBER) TIL 0712302300

!PIE CLW OBST CRANE 195 (125 AGL) .25 NE (2755N08241W) TIL 0711032000

NOTE-
Insert latitude/longitude, if known, immediately after cardinal direction in the format shown above.

6. NAV (Navigation Aids). Keyword used to describe a hazard caused by the changes in the status of groundbased radio navigational aids.

EXAMPLE-
!PNC PER NAV VOR UNUSBL 045-060 BYD 20 BLW 2000

7. COM (Communications). Keyword used to describe a hazard caused by communication outlet commissioning, decommissioning, outage, and unavailability and air-to-ground frequencies.

EXAMPLES-
!DCA PSK COM RCO OTS

!IPT IPT COM VOR VOICE OTS

8. SVC (Services). Keyword used to describe a hazard associated with airport services or air traffic management services.

EXAMPLES-
!MIV MIV SVC FUEL UNAVBL TIL 0709301600

!SHD SHD SVC TWR 1215-0300 MON-FRI/1430-2300 SAT/1600-0100/SUN TIL 0709170100

!OLY OLY SVC AWOS 119.275 OTS

!IAD IAD SVC MIRCOBURST/WIND SHEAR DETECTION OTS

9. AIRSPACE (Airspace). Keyword used to describe a hazard which impacts, restricts, or precludes use of airspace.

EXAMPLES-
!CHO CHO AIRSPACE HELIUM BALLOONS 30 NE 1 NMR 10000/BLW WEF 0710121800-0710121830

!BKW BKW AIRSPACE PYROTECHNIC DEMO 1000/BLW 8 W .5 NMR AVOIDANCE ADZD
WEF 0712312230-0712312300

NOTE-
Examples of keywords (ODP, SID, STAR, ROUTE, and SPECIAL) relating to instrument flight procedures are shown in Chapter 7.

10. ODP (Obstacle Departure Procedure). Keyword used when a NOTAM applies to a textual or graphic obstacle departure procedure.

11. SID (Standard Instrument Departure). Keyword used when a NOTAM applies to a published standard instrument departure.

12. STAR (Standard Terminal Arrival). Keyword used when a NOTAM applies to a published standard terminal arrival.

13. CHART (Chart). Keyword used to describe a chart correction that becomes effective before the next publication cycle.

14. DATA (Data). Keyword used to describe a hazard associated with a data set change.

15. IAP (Instrument Approach Procedure). Keyword used when a NOTAM applies to a published instrument approach procedure.

16. VFP (Visual Flight Procedure). Keyword used when a NOTAM applies to visual flight procedures such as CVFP and RVFP.

17. ROUTE (Route). Keyword used to describe a hazard or change associated with published ATS routes and related information.

18. SPECIAL (Special). Keyword used when a NOTAM applies to a special instrument flight procedure.

19. (O) - Other Aeronautical Information. Aeronautical information received from any authorized source that may be beneficial to aircraft operations and does not meet defined NOTAM criteria. Any such NOTAM will be prefaced with “(O)” as the keyword following the location identifier.

EXAMPLE-
!LOZ LOZ (O) CONTROLLED BURN OF HOUSE 8 NE AER RWY 23 WEF 0910211300-0910211700

NOTE-
Keyword (O) should be used for NOTAMs pertaining to aircraft operations greater than 5 SM from an aerodrome.

f. (U) – Unverified. (U) is used preceding a keyword. For use only where authorized by letters of agreement. Movement area or other information received that meets NOTAM criteria and has not been confirmed by the airport manager (AMGR) or designee. If Flight Service is unable to contact airport management, Flight Service must forward (U) NOTAM information to the USNS. Subsequent to USNS distribution of a (U) NOTAM, Flight Service will inform airport management of the action taken as soon as practical.

EXAMPLE-
!ORT 6K8 (U) RWY ABANDONED VEHICLE

g. Any NOTAM associated with “Personnel and Equipment Working” (PAEW), will be associated with RWY, TWY, AD, or APRON and a direction from the associated movement area as appropriate.

EXAMPLES-
!CHO CHO RWY 23 PAEW FIRST 500 ADJ SE SIDE

!SBY SBY TWY E PAEW SOUTH SIDE BTN RWY 5/TWY G

1-2-2. PROCEDURAL APPLICATIONS

Apply the procedures in this order except when other procedures are contained in a letter of agreement or other appropriate FAA documents, provided they only supplement this order and that any standards they specify are not less than those in this order. FAAO JO 7210.3, Facility Operation and Administration, contains administrative procedures for developing and executing those letters and documents.

1-2-3. AVOIDANCE OF DUPLICATION

Prior to issuing a NOTAM on any NOTAM criteria data, check all appropriate charts and publications to assure the information does not duplicate or fall within the published data. Do not issue a NOTAM on information that duplicates or falls within published data.