Updated AC Explains New Notam System

As the next step in the FAA’s efforts to go digital, the agency earlier this month released an updated advisory circular (AC) 150/5200-28E outlining a new system for creating notices to airmen (Notam) when reporting airport facilities changes or outages and airport conditions.

The AC explains new Notam terminology and technology, extensive text and format changes and includes new tables. It also expands the list of related reference material; arranges text and narrative information into chapters and promotes the use of the Notam Manager as the preferred means of issuing Notams.

The AC explains why the FAA does not support the correlations to pilot reported braking actions of good, medium, poor and nil and adds numerous new definitions to terms such as “patchy,” or “condition-not-monitored.” The circular also adds a new list of approved contaminants that will soon appear in Notams.