Best Notam plotter

[IO540]

This is the problem, isn't it?

Unless you can trust the graphical tool 100% (which you can't because the data format is pretty free and easy and contains occassional typos) you are still back to plotting coordinate lists..................

Fortunately, most of the said lists aren't worth plotting, OMHO.

[Mike Cross]

It rather depends on where the graphical tools obtain their data. Until recently most of them worked by parsing the free-form text that forms the "E" line of the NOTAM message. This is because the "Q" Line, which IS to a defined format was not available via the AIS website. NotamPlot was an exception because it derived its data from AvBrief, which included the "Q" Line.
As a result of lobbying from me and others the "Q" line is now included in the AIS briefs, opening the way for graphical plotting tools to use it.
ICAO, who define the NOTAM format, designed the "Q" Line specifically for Electronic Data Processing (though I doubt they envisaged plotting at the time).
Art 52 of the ANO 2005 is the relevant bit of legislation:-

Pre-flight action by commander of aircraft
52 The commander of an aircraft registered in the United Kingdom shall take all reasonable steps to satisfy himself before the aircraft takes off:
(a) that the flight can safely be made, taking into account the latest information available as to the route and aerodrome to be used, the weather reports and forecasts available and any alternative course of action

How he does it is up to him. If you want to use a graphical plotting tool it's up to you to ensure that it does the job. As a first step I'd suggest you check where the data used to do the plotting comes from.
A problem with the ICAO format is that the "Q" line only includes a centre point and Radius of Influence (RoI). This enables a circle to be drawn that encompasses (but does not define) the area within which the activity takes place. This is why refuelling exercises over the North Sea get a big RoI. They fly up and down in a long straight line, which requires a big circle to enclose it. While the "E" Line may include the co-ordinates there is not a standard for the way in which they are presented and therefore a risk that automated plotting systems may not be able to accurately plot them.

[DFC]

I agree with what IO540 says. While the military are good enough to tell us when they are going to ignore the rules of the air in class G, the average PPL who also on a regular basis ignores the rules of the air is not so kind. Lookout during visual flight and obtaining a radar service (when available) for flight in IMC is a good way to go.

Here are some resons why the narrow route briefing tool is underused;

1. Unless one operates to and from an aerodrome with ICAO designator, one has to tell a lie to the system to get information. Having told the lie, the information received will fit that lie and not the intended route. Solution - allow private airfields to have a local UK code eg Joe Browns Farm could be eg123.

Yes I know that is 5 caracters but it will not be used for flight plans so who cares!

2. Pilots in the UK are far beind the curve when it comes to flight plans (compared to pilots elsewhere when filing is more usual). Thus the route format is hard to understand when one does not understand what a flight plan is. Solution - more training in this area. Perhaps making it a standard that a full flight plan would be filed for solo crosscountry exercises (and some dual to get the practice).

3. People do not use the extra filters and end up with 2 days worth of notams for a 1 hour flight.

Solution - stop the silly practice of saying that all one has to do is fill in the yellow boxes. People who do that get too many NOTAMs.

4. Stop making something like a change to the London City CTA or activity in a north sea danger area applicable to the whole FIR. People in Lands end do not what that rubbish in their briefs.

The NATs AIS software has the capability to produce NOTAM briefings for a radius round an aerodrome. Please permit it's use because what training airfields want most is notams within 30 or 40 or whatever nm from the field to cover local training traffic.

As for plotting NOTAM.

There is a very simple and low cost solution.

The FIR controllers at LACC have access to plotted information for that day updated as necessary by the assistant. Not sure of the current method of display (perhaps a FISO(A) could say) but;

If it is the old map system, a simple digital photo (or 3) posted on the AIS website ensures that the FIR controler and the pilots have the same info. Updates could be made as necessary.

Even better a webcam saves having to do the updates!

If however the LACC has an electronic version then AIS has access to the information already and putting the information on the website is not a big deal.

Regards,

DFC

[Mike Cross]

DFC
Are you aware of this list of dummy ICAO codes covering 33 aviation sites in the UK? They have all been allocated a code beginning X because that is not already used by ICAO in a country identifier. If you want any added drop an e-mail to AIS and you could get lucky.
For a local flying area my suggestion is to:-

1. Pick two a/d that straddle your flying area, then set up a Narrow Route Brief using them as the departure and arrival.
2. Set the Narrow Route Width (default 10nm either side of the direct track between the two) sufficiently high to define a box that encloses your flying area.
3. Put your own a/d and any others that you might use within the area as alternates to ensure you get a/d NOTAM affecting them. Give it a meaningful briefing id (eg "LOCAL").
4. Submit it

It will now be saved in the "Briefing Handbook" and you can re-use it whenever you want.
Mike

[Brooklands]

Bert,
Have you had a look at SkybookGA? Loop Magazine are offering a free trial for May. I seems that it may do what you want, although I can't be certain as I have done any more than look at their demos so far.

There are also some comments about it here on the Flyer forums.
Brooklands

[Bert Stiles]

Thanks for the steer Brooklands.

BS

[DFC]

Mike,

Are these codes a secret or is there an AIC, a NOTAM or even a note on the AIS website where the average person will find out that they exist?

As for your idea for making a local plan - sorry but the idea of having to find some point 10 nm away is not required. Furthermore, it will not create a circle of the aerodrome!

To create a local radius from an airfield lucky enough to have an ICAO designator, simply note the airfields lat/long (if you don't know then look it up on the AIS website!). In the route, specify dct to a lat/long that is 1 minute North, South, East or West of the airfield lat/long and then dct back to the same airfield. Produces a nice circle (or very close to) of the desired radius.

However, the point is that we should not have to come up with ways of cheating the system. The system should be able to produce a report based on a radius from an aerodrome with height and time filters specified. The software can do it but it has not been enabled.

Shame because that is the most common type of briefing required by clubs and schools.

Perhaps we can get AIS to look at other countries that use the same software properly and produce better reports for local UK flying than UK AIS!

Regards,

DFC

[Mike Cross]

DFC
The list of dummy codes is referred to on the Help page of the AIS website (click PIB Help either on the panel at the left hand side of the login page or on the drop-down "HELP" menu once you have logged in. It's also referred to in the index and on Page 32 of the User Guide, links to which also appear in the same places. AIS have a quantity of these printed, if you phone them I'm sure they'l send you one on request.
Your way of getting a brief for a radius round an a/d works fine, however for many airfields the training area is not a circle round the a/d (White Waltham for example) but is an area off to one side.
The software ain't designed to give a radius round an a/d. It's designed for you to input a Flight Plan and get a briefing. (The on-line Flight Plan filing has not been implemented in the UK) This accounts for the "Briefing id" which is meant for a Flight No and the "UTC Date and Time of Flight" boxes which have no effect on the result returned.
The only place where a "Radius" is involved is on the "Route Briefing" input screen and it's to do with height filtering. As the User Guide explains:-

Radius: This value is applies around the departure and destination airfield. No matter what cruising level Interval is selected, En-route NOTAM that fall within this radius (from SFC to 12000ft) will appear in the brief.

Hope this is helpful

Mike

[IO540]

The other things, if you want to specify a non-ICAO airfield, is to use

1. a nearby airways intersection

2. the VOR-relative specification XXXRRRDDD e.g. MID270015 being 270 radial from MID, 15nm.

3. lat/long

It's no rocket science.

Especially as people flying from farm strips are on the whole less likely to fly in precise straight lines

Time to duck ....