A Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) is an official operational notice that alerts aircrew to temporary or time-critical changes affecting flight safety, airspace, or aerodrome operations. NOTAMs complement charts and publications by covering information that is too urgent or temporary to be printed elsewhere.
(Historically “Notice to Airmen”; modern usage is “Air Missions.”)
What NOTAMs can cover
- Runway / taxiway closures or limitations
- Navigation aid outages (ILS, VOR, TACAN, lighting)
- Airspace restrictions (TFRs, danger areas, activation times)
- Procedural changes (approach minima changes, missed approach updates)
- Obstacles (cranes, towers, temporary hazards)
- Communications issues (ATC frequency changes or outages)
Structure & timing
- Issued in Zulu time (UTC)
- Valid for a specific window (start/end times)
- Written in a compressed, standardized format
- Prioritized by operational impact
Why NOTAMs matter
- They can invalidate an otherwise legal plan
- They explain why a charted procedure may not be available
- Ignoring a NOTAM can lead to:
- Missed approaches
- Closed runways
- Loss of navigation guidance
- Airspace violations
Application in DCS World
- DCS does not generate real NOTAMs automatically.
- However, mission designers and organized units often simulate NOTAMs via:
- Briefings (e.g., “ILS RWY 27 out of service”)
- Server rules (restricted airspace, closed runways)
- Scripted triggers (lighting failures, navaid outages)
Training best practice:
- Treat mission briefs as a NOTAM package
- Explicitly brief:
- Closed runways
- Disabled ILS/TACAN
- Restricted zones
- Enforce alternate planning when a “primary” option is NOTAM’d out
Training relevance for cadets
Cadets should learn to:
- Assume charts are incomplete without NOTAMs
- Cross-check planned procedures against current restrictions
- Adjust fuel, alternates, and recovery plans accordingly
- Expect “surprises” in realistic scenarios
Bottom line:
Charts tell you what should be there.
NOTAMs tell you what actually is.