Definition
A Field Condition Notice to Airmen issued by an airport operator to report the current surface condition of a runway, taxiway, or ramp, particularly when contaminants such as snow, slush, ice, standing water, or compacted snow are present. A FICON NOTAM describes the contaminant type, depth, coverage, and the resulting runway condition assessment used by pilots to evaluate landing and takeoff performance.
Plain English
An official notice that tells pilots what is currently on the runway surface, such as snow, ice, or water, and how slippery or contaminated it is.
Context Anchor
Seen during preflight planning, in NOTAM briefings, and when checking airport conditions before departure or arrival.
Derivation
FICON is shorthand for Field Condition. NOTAM stands for Notice to Airmen (now Notice to Air Missions). The combined term simply labels a NOTAM that reports the field's condition.
Why Pilots Care
Knowing the exact surface condition lets pilots decide whether the runway is safe to use and what landing distance or braking technique is required.
Grounding Statement
Before using a runway, a pilot checks a FICON NOTAM to know what the surface is actually like, not just whether the airport is open.
Intuition Check
Do not read FICON NOTAM as a general airport notice. It specifically points to field or surface conditions that can affect aircraft movement.
Example Sentence 1
The FICON NOTAM reported 1 inch of wet snow over 75 percent of Runway 27, with medium braking action.
Example Sentence 2
Because the FICON NOTAM showed patchy ice, the crew elected to divert to an alternate airport with better conditions.