From: thisted@galton.uchicago.edu (Ronald A. Thisted)
Subject: Re: DUATS NOTAM limitations
Keywords: NOTAM, DUAT
Organization: Dept of Statistics, Univ of Chicago
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 00:54:27 GMT

In article <1em7n3INNh4j@agate.berkeley.edu> chem4-aa@garnet.berkeley.edu (Lonnie C. Martin) writes:
>In article <1992Nov20.020053.17047@pony.Ingres.COM> kerry@Ingres.COM (Kerry Kurasaki) writes:
>The class
>II Notams aren't THAT big.  Why can't they be on-line? (_and_ published)
>
>... the subscription price of $62.00/year (? more now, I think) is
>perceived, justifiably or not, to be too much.


Here is some straight poop on NOTAMS, from someone who shells out the
bucks for a subscription:

(a) The publication averages about 150 pages every two weeks, of which
the second section, entitled, "Special Notices" takes up about 75%.
Most of these pages are not amenable to computer dissemination,
involving such things as airport diagrams, special use airspace
boundaries drawn on sectional charts, temporary flight restrictions
associated with special events such as the Rose Bowl and Super Bowl.
This is where all of the special procedures for Oshkosh and EAA are
officially published, for instance.  Many of these do get "announced"
in electronic dissemination.  Thus, when temporary flight restrictions
announced in NOTAMS are soon to be in effect at Midway Airport, a
notice of effective hours shows up on my DUAT briefing a few days in
advance. 

(b) It would be a relatively simple matter for the table of contents,
with effective dates and a short description, to be disseminated by
computer; in fact I did this for a few months, broadcasting the result
to rec.aviation.  (When I sent out a message asking if anyone found
this service useful, I got 0 replies.  So I stopped typing the info
in.)

(c) It used to be true that notams concerning airway changes
were not disseminated electronically once published on paper.  AS OF
NOVEMBER 12, 1992 AIRWAY NOTAMS ARE NOT PUBLISHED IN THE PAPER
VERSION, AND ARE DISSEMINATED ELECTRONICALLY.  This means that both
DUAT and FSS briefings will automatically contain relevant Flight Data
Center and Center Area NOTAMS regarding airway changes.

(d) What is left in NOTAMS that is NOT disseminated electronically?
Information about airports, facilities, and procedures -- 50 pages
worth in the current issue.  These include temporary changes to
decision heights on ILS's, approaches that are temporarily not
authorized, NDBs that are not monitored, changes in runway numbering,
temporary changes in the standard missed approach instructions,
limitations to the service volume of a VOR, etc.  Some of these
"temporary" changes have been in the printed version for two years,
but most is less than a year old.  But note that "temporary" simply
means, not expected to last forever---in FAAspeak, it can be a loooong
time.

Editorial note: About 98% of the published NOTAMS described in part
(d) are of interest only to IFR operations.  And Geoff's advice is
dead on: if you use NOS charts for IFR, you must have access to and consult
the published NOTAMS.  Otherwise, Jepps seem to be the only
responsible choice.  If you are a VFR only pilot, the value of the
publication is very small, although it is the place to learn that the
length/width of a runway has changed, or that a discplaced threshold
has been introduced.  This kind of info will make it into the A/FD
pretty quickly, however, and of course everyone subscribes to/consults
the A/FD.  [RT]

(e)  The subscription cost is $124 per year.  Visa/MC accepted. Fax
your order to the Superintendent of Documents (202) 512-2233, or mail
to PO Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15270-7954.  Order processing code:
5273.

Hope these facts are helpful.
Ron Thisted
Department of Statistics/The University of Chicago
thisted@galton.uchicago.edu
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.misc