Understanding Notams

Aeronautical chart with symbols and yellow background.

By Lucas Rodden, Government Affairs Manager | [email protected]

As seen in the August 2026 issue of Model Aviation.

THIS MIGHT BE a harder question than it seems. Keeping definitions straight is difficult whether you’re a seasoned contest director or brand new to the hobby. Let’s take a closer look at a tool that’s becoming increasingly relevant to many modelers for both daily flights and sanctioned events: the NOTAM.

NOTAM stands for Notice to Airmen (or, previously, Air Missions) and that’s exactly what it is—a notice. The NOTAM system provides information to full-scale pilots about navigation aids, hazards, operational changes, and other time-sensitive conditions that they might need to know while planning their routes.

A NOTAM can be tied to a specific set of coordinates or associated with the nearest full-scale airport, and it stays active in the system until its designated end date. These notices help communicate everything from runway closures to temporary flight restrictions for public events, such as the Super Bowl or presidential travel.

For modelers, the primary use of a NOTAM is to notify full-scale pilots of modeling activity. It may also serve to comply with a written requirement in an authorization document, although modelers can elect to post a NOTAM for notice purposes alone if they feel that it is in the best interest of safe operations at their field.

The FAA often relies on the use of NOTAMs as an enforcement mechanism to check compliance and grant authorizations to AMA fixed flying sites or other related documents. In practical terms, this means that an event that posts a NOTAM for operations up to 700 feet above ground level (AGL) is not receiving that altitude because a NOTAM has been filed; rather, the preexisting agreement between AMA and the FAA already allows that altitude—if all other rules and regulations are followed— including filing a NOTAM.

It might seem to be a small distinction, but it makes a large, practical difference. For instance, if you were to request a NOTAM for 3,000 feet AGL on an active airport with which you have had no communication, the NOTAM will be posted. However, you will not have gone through any of the proper channels to actually receive permission, so the NOTAM would not approve your operations.

Maintaining an understanding of when a NOTAM is needed but also of exactly what function it is serving in a given situation will greatly simplify the planning of events and competitions, as well as the establishment of new daily flying fields within complicated airspace.

Takeaways for Hobbyists

NOTAMs are, at their core, communication tools—not authorization tools. They don’t grant altitude, Remote ID privileges, or permissions on their own. We use them because the FAA requires them as part of the process that enables groups, such as AMA, to receive more flexibility in how, where, and when they operate.

Understanding that distinction helps both club officers and individual members more easily determine when they have the tools and authorizations that they need and when they require AMA assistance to analyze airspace or help to apply for nonstandard altitude and Remote ID authorization.

If your situation is still unclear, please reach out to me using the email found at the beginning of this article to discuss your concerns.

To remain current with the most recent government-related news, regularly visit the AMA Government Affairs blog. If you have any further questions or concerns, contact the Government Affairs department at (765) 287-1256 or [email protected].