NOTAM system failure

[pacerpilot]

I landed at a local airport today and was met by the FBO manager. He was somewhat "miffed". He told me I had just landed at a closed airport. I was informed the airport was closed from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm local and that a NOTAM had been filed. There was a group of kids from local schools doing a rocket launch. Fortunately I'm on the FAA NOTAM automatic email system and I'd also checked for TFR's and NOTAM's before I had left the house-nothing noted for our area. It turned out the NOTAM system was "down", or so the feds told the FBO manager. I then (jokingly of course) informed the FBO manager he was allowing kids to launch rockets from an active airport ramp into the airport traffic area! I still can't find record of a NOTAM being filed though. Don't you have to activate a NOTAM after filing it? Anyhow, no harm, no foul. In the end the kids were quite taken by my plane (I've got Jake Jaks Pober Junior Ace) and my dog "Lucky"-yep, "dog" is my copilot. We all had a great time despite the breakdown in communication. After watching the kids do their thing Lucky and I departed for home with an invitation to return any time. Lots of pictures of my plane and pooch with the kids. I might have inspired a few prospective pilots too. Anyway, just a heads up for the future, I think we might be seeing more "system failures" relating to the airspace system.

[Mike M]

what airport?

[WLIU]

In a typical example of how one side of the FAA does not talk to the other side of the FAA, or to you and I, the manner in which NOTAMs are processed and posted has changed. First, I regularly file NOTAMs. Before the FSS consolidation and contracting out of the service, you telephoned in your NOTAM some days in advance and then telephoned when you were going to start the activity that the NOTAM described. That was the procedure for years.

Today, when you telephone or FAX in your NOTAM, the FSS staff member immediately enters the info into the computer system and the new NOTAM is available within minutes (published) to all briefers, DUAT(S) users, and other consumers. The NOTAM has the dates and times and duration in it. FSS no longer needs or wants you to telephone to "activate" the NOTAM. Your first contact did that. Seems like most civilians and even the FSDO's never have been told that. Folks who regularly file NOTAMs like myself learn this stuff and more by talking to the same FSS staff over and over. And near as I can tell, the Lockheed Martin procedures "book" is proprietary and unavailable to the public. All regular FAA process and policy docs are public and on the internet, but stuff contracted out is not. Which feels like a negative as far as aviation safety goes.

So the original poster and the airport manager gets an attaboy for trying to use the system. But the "system" obviously let them down. That said, a radio call 10 miles out asking for the active runway gives Unicom the opportunity to let you know if there is something unexpected going on. That still won't work in every case, but it will help.

Fly safe,

Wes
N78PS

[FlyingRon]

Yep and if you have an AWOS or similar device, putting it there as well is handy.
The NOTAM system is VERY MUCH broken. Your chance of getting a NOTAM is less than 50-50. Less so if you use the human FSS briefers. I've learned that the hard way on a couple of occasions. Even asking "Are there any NOTAMS for this airport" often doesn't get them even when they are filed under the airport identifier (don't get me started on the entirely hosed up system that is the FDC NOTAMS).

I got a phone call a couple of months ago that said AMOC on my caller ID. That turns out to be the Air/Marine Operations Center at CBP which is tasked with chasing down bogies in the presidential TFRs. They wanted to know who just departed my airport. I told them that I wasn't on field, but I could find out for them. Seems my neighbor called FSS specifically to inquire as to the EFF TIME of the TFR about 1 hour before his flight (He flies a big old radial engine biplane so it takes a long time to preflight and warm the thing up before he launches). Seven minutes after he called, the NOTAMS were revised to move the EFF TIME up an hour (53 minute warning on a TFR).

[pacerpilot]

Thanks for the heads up Wes. What you illustrated is what I thought has happened. Normally I'd say it's not a problem. The only time we'll run into conlfict is at uncontrolled airports and when the non-electronic type flyers (like myself) encounter issues. I guess there's no perfect fix, just caution on our part. This is just the world of budget cuts we need to learn to navigate. It sure is something to think about as we enter fly-in and airshow season. I'll pass this info on to the airport/FBO managers I know so they can verify the info is being processed.

[Cary]

I don't think you can rely on Unicom much of anywhere, any more, for much information. In olden times, with FSS's on the field, we could get traffic advisories from the FSS. Then after the first consolidation, we could get traffic advisories from Unicoms. But now, unless someone thought to put a NOTAM on the AWOS broadcast, if you call and ask almost any Unicom for traffic advisories, they'll refer you to the AWOS frequency, and that's about it. If you ask for NOTAMs, the average Unicom "operator" hasn't any idea what you're talking about. Maybe if you ask for fuel, and the airport is closed, they'll tell you that you can't get fuel, and that'll clue you that it's closed?????

Cary

[pacerpilot]

I don't think you can rely on Unicom much of anywhere, any more, for much information. In olden times, with FSS's on the field, we could get traffic advisories from the FSS. Then after the first consolidation, we could get traffic advisories from Unicoms. But now, unless someone thought to put a NOTAM on the AWOS broadcast, if you call and ask almost any Unicom for traffic advisories, they'll refer you to the AWOS frequency, and that's about it. If you ask for NOTAMs, the average Unicom "operator" hasn't any idea what you're talking about. Maybe if you ask for fuel, and the airport is closed, they'll tell you that you can't get fuel, and that'll clue you that it's closed?????

You're correct Cary. It turns out the FBO manager had his wife call in the NOTAM. She didn't know what it was or what it was for. Neither verified it had been posted. Several more airplanes approached the airport while I was there, asked for "winds and active", and she gave them the info with no indication of the airport being used for the kids activities. Her husband would then get on his handheld and fend off the aircraft. A couple resident pilots showed up (one a CFI and student) and went on about their business. Because there was no NOTAM, they took off-after the kids were safely clear off the AOA of course. I wasn't about to be so "bullish", besides, the kids were having a great time looking at my plane and playing with Lucky.