Definition
A Distant NOTAM, designated by the letter (D), is a notice that contains information of wide distribution affecting navigation aids, civil public-use airports listed in the Chart Supplement, facilities, services, or procedures. NOTAM (D) information is disseminated for all navigational facilities that are part of the National Airspace System and includes items such as taxiway closures, personnel and equipment near or crossing runways, and airport lighting aids that do not affect instrument approach criteria.
Plain English
A widely distributed notice telling pilots about temporary changes or hazards at public-use airports and along the airway system — things like a closed taxiway, a broken runway light, or work crews near a runway.
Context Anchor
Pilots encounter NOTAM (D) information during preflight planning, weather briefings, and airport status checks before departure.
Derivation
The (D) stands for 'Distant,' meaning the notice is distributed beyond the local area to the full National Airspace System. Originally these were transmitted over long-distance teletype circuits to reach pilots flying to the affected airport, hence 'distant.'
Why Pilots Care
Pilots must review these to avoid unexpected runway closures, navigation outages, or restrictions that could affect route planning or safety.
Intuition Check
Do not read “distant” as meaning the problem is far away from your route. It means the notice is distributed widely, so pilots who are not already at that location can know about it.
Example Sentence 1
During preflight planning, she checked NOTAM (D) information and saw that taxiway Bravo at her destination was closed for repairs.
Example Sentence 2
A NOTAM (D) warned of construction affecting the ILS approach at an airport two states away.