Originally Posted by
WideScreen
What you describe is a real reality.
The issue with this is, that with your road example, there are navigation clues (the tarmac itself, potential white stripes, etc), to give drivers the real-time notification "you should not go there" (something which is lost, with heavy fog and we see the results of that). These restriction clues are missing, once you go 3D (or better 4D, since obstacles can move).
The main problem is, the NOTAM system should have some kind of "extra info" option, so it becomes possible to filter out everything that is not supposed to be on your navigation path. Ok, ok, I know, this is an oversimplification ..... Though, why get reported all those windmills up to 500ft, when the only reason for you to get there would be, when things are already out of control and you already lost the nav plot / opportunity to avoid the windmills anyway ?
Granted, there are / can be situations, when these windmills are relevant to be NOTAM'd. For example, when flying low-level inspections with a chopper. Then, you definitely want to know what obstacles could be there. The same applies, for your just "off-center" poles, when not flying regular navigation patterns.
Nope. The power poles adjacent to the road have no line of sight reflectors, are on pavement(tarmacadam), no white line, no curb. Just the existential fact that they exist in time and space and the driver is responsible for 'see and avoid'.
Fully agree that the NOTAM system needs filtering, but I'm at a loss on how to proceed. I am strongly against more technical mandates. While GA pilots continue to find ways to do themselves and pax in using a variety of simple and complex means, the paying 121 and 135 traffic have pretty much eliminated any serious risk to life or limb. Of course, there are exceptions and once in a while a charter will go sideways, but the safety systems in place for the paying public seem to be doing a remarkable job of reducing risk. Part of this(I will opine) a small part is also the NOTAM system which will advise a pilot on something that really matters.
Evidence used was the NOTAM at SFO of a runway OTS. However, even with the NOTAM info published, provided, and noted by one crew, they still decided to line up wrong and missed a string of planes on the taxiway. And - this is WITH the NOTAM system operating nominally. NOTAMs play some role in aviation safety, but as noted, from the FAA(not the airport mgrs) THEY have made it into a CYA dumping ground. If the inspector will stop reporting on my power poles, I will stop adding them to the NOTAM system. In fact, those poles have been there for maybe 20 years. If I could go back in time to 2003 time frame, I would bet that they were not any consideration for operation at my airport.
As for anyone navigating over there near the power poles, it would be already breaking a regulation flying at 65 feet altitude as there are homes and schools, and a golf course nearby. It would not be an area where anyone landing or taking off could possible be a factor, unless on takeoff the plane suffered some kind of loss of power. In that case, I say we should NOTAM the entire surface of the planet and all protrusions as a potential obstruction. Where does it end? The original NOTAM system was well conceived, but like most fed programs implementation has gone into a dark, messy place.