Definition
A time-critical aeronautical notice distributed by the FAA that contains information about the establishment, condition, or change of any component, service, procedure, or hazard in the National Airspace System. NOTAMs cover items such as runway closures, taxiway work, navigation aid outages, temporary flight restrictions, changes to instrument approach procedures, and special use airspace activation that could affect the safety of a flight.
Plain English
A short official notice that tells pilots about something at an airport or in the airspace that has changed recently and could affect their flight, like a closed runway or a navigation aid that is out of service.
Context Anchor
Pilots check NOTAMs during preflight planning and flight briefings, especially when checking airports, routes, and special use airspace.
Derivation
The term combines 'notice' (an announcement) with 'airmen' (the older term for pilots and aircrew). It literally means an announcement directed to people who fly. The FAA has since rebranded NOTAM officially as 'Notice to Air Missions,' but the abbreviation and original phrasing remain in widespread use.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots must review NOTAMs before every flight to avoid hazards like closed runways or temporary flight restrictions.
Intuition Check
Do not read notice here as a casual announcement. A NOTAM is an official aviation notice that may affect whether, where, or how a flight can be conducted safely.
Example Sentence 1
During preflight planning, she checked the NOTAMs and saw that the ILS at her destination was out of service for maintenance.
Example Sentence 2
A NOTAM reported that the runway lights at the destination airport were out of service.