FAA publishes changes to notams

The FAA recently published Order 7930.2S, Change 2, “Notices to Air Missions (NOTAM),” which took effect December 2. Yes, you read that correctly: This change also includes a modification to “the acronym NOTAM from Notice to Airmen to the more applicable term Notice to Air Missions,” per the FAA.

The name change complies with the Federal Women’s Program, which suggests that the term notice to air missions is “inclusive of all aviators and missions.” The name change also pertains to the flight of small drones and uncrewed free balloons.

Other revisions include:

• Changes that bring FAA terminology in line with the International Civil Aviation Organization.
• Additional detail to describe the operation of runway alignment lights to replace the single term “unserviceable.”
• Removal of the braking action report of “good” as notam criteria.
• Same treatment of ASOS and AWOS automated weather stations in notams.
• Renaming of Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport to Harry Reid International Airport.

Read the complete order for more details.