What are NOTAMs
NOTAM stands for Notice to Airmen (more correctly today Notice to Air Missions). They are official communications issued by aviation authorities to inform pilots and flight personnel of:
- Temporary changes (runway works, taxiway closure, lights out of service)
- Scheduled events (military exercises, VIP flights, air shows)
- Temporary hazards (new obstacles, construction works, paragliding activities)
- Airspace restrictions (temporarily prohibited zones, prohibited/restricted/danger areas)
- Status of services and facilities (NDB, VOR, ILS out of service)
They are mandatory to consult before every flight. Flying ignoring a relevant NOTAM is a violation of air rules and a dangerous practice.
- Permanent NOTAMs are periodically incorporated into the AIP (Aeronautical Information Publication) and then deleted as NOTAMs. - Temporary NOTAMs remain in force for a defined period (hours, days, months) and then expire.
NOTAM structure
A NOTAM has a standardized ICAO structure. Example:
A1234/26 NOTAMN
Q) LSAS/QFAAH/IV/M/A/000/999/4630N00858E005
A) LSZA
B) 2604271200
C) 2605051200
E) RWY 19/01 CLSD DUE TO MAINT WORK 0500-0700 DAILY
Block-by-block decoding:
| Block | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A1234/26 NOTAMN | Unique ID (A1234, year 26), type NOTAMN (new) |
| Q) | Coding line: FIR + category + traffic + scope + extent + altitudes + coordinates + radius |
| A) | Aerodrome or FIR concerned |
| B) | Validity start (YYMMDDHHMM) |
| C) | Validity end (YYMMDDHHMM) |
| E) | NOTAM text in clear (in English) |
The Q) block is the "condensed code" — interprets the NOTAM in machine-readable way.
Types of NOTAM
Three main types:
NOTAMN (New)
New NOTAM: introduces information that wasn't there before.
NOTAMR (Replace)
Replacement NOTAM: replaces a previous NOTAM with updated text.
NOTAMC (Cancel)
Cancellation NOTAM: cancels a previous NOTAM before its natural expiration.
Coding categories (Q-line)
The Q-line contains a 5-letter code (e.g. QFAAH) identifying:
- First letter (Q): indicates it's a NOTAM code
- Second + third letter: facility or service type (FA = Aerodrome, MR = Runway, IL = ILS...)
- Fourth + fifth letter: event type (AH = Hours of Service, CS = Closed, LM = Limited...)
You don't need to memorize all codes, but the most common:
- QFALC = Aerodrome closed
- QMRLC = Runway closed
- QMTLC = Taxiway closed
- QILAS = ILS unserviceable
- QPDAH = Parachute jumping activity
- QWALW = Air navigation warning
Typical NOTAMs for VFR
For a Swiss VFR, the most relevant NOTAMs are:
- Runway works (closure for maintenance)
- Active paragliding or hang-gliding flights (zones with glider activity)
- Military exercises (D/R zones temporarily active)
- Air events (Air shows, fly-ins)
- VIP events (temporary restriction zones)
- NDB/VOR out of service
- Runway lights out of service
Q) LSAS/QFALC/IV/M/A/000/999/4604N00857E005
A) LSZA
B) 2606010500 C) 2606300700
E) AERODROME CLOSED 0500-0700 DAILY DUE TO RUNWAY MAINTENANCE
How to consult NOTAMs
Official sources for Switzerland:
- AIS Switzerland (www.skybriefing.com) — official Skyguide source
- EFB apps (SkyDemon, Foreflight, Air Navigation Pro) — integrate NOTAMs in map
- Notamfetcher — free site for personalized searches
The official pre-flight briefing always includes all relevant NOTAMs for the route. It's recommended for cross-country flights.
All those relevant for your route. For a Lugano → Locarno flight (40 km), there are few. For a Lugano → Bern or Lugano → Sion flight, there can be dozens. Skyguide recommends filtering by:
- Departure, destination and alternate aerodromes - Crossed FIRs - Crossed airspaces (Restricted, Danger areas) - Planned flight altitudes
NOTAM lifetime
A NOTAM has a precise life cycle:
- Issued by aviation authority (in CH it's BAZL/Skyguide)
- Distributed via AFTN (textual aeronautical network) to all international AIS
- In force from B) date to C) date
- Cancelled automatically at expiration, or via explicit NOTAMC
A NOTAM never cancelled indicates permanent information that should be moved to AIP.
Swiss specifics
In Switzerland, particularly common NOTAMs for VFR include:
- Air Force exercises in military airspaces (Axalp, Meiringen) - Seasonal paragliding events (Lago di Lugano, Pizzo Tremona, Cardada) - VIP flights (international summits, cycling races) - Summer air events (Air14, historical Mollis air shows) - Lugano runway works (usually early morning, spring/autumn)
Always brief via SkyBriefing.com before flight. Skyguide strongly recommends using the official briefing even for short VFR flights.
Summary — to remember
- NOTAM = mandatory official notices before every flight.
- Standard ICAO structure with Q, A, B, C, E lines.
- Three types: NOTAMN (new), NOTAMR (replacement), NOTAMC (cancellation).
- Q-line coding in 5 letters identifies facility and event.
- Swiss sources: SkyBriefing.com (Skyguide), EFB apps.
- Never fly without NOTAM briefing — even for short flights.
Sources
- ICAO Annex 15 — Aeronautical Information Services
- ICAO Doc 8126 — Aeronautical Information Services Manual
- ICAO Doc 8400 — PANS-ABC (codes and abbreviations)
- AIS Switzerland — Skyguide
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