NOTAMs are important!!

[AggieMike88]

This thread is a fresh start on the NOTAMs topic to provide additional illustrations of why it's important to read and become familiar with all that apply to your flight. This is for the benefit of all, especially some of our newer student pilot members.

In preparation of a ground study session, my instrument instructor has asked me to prepare for an IFR flight between Denton and Houston Hobby.

One possible approach there is the ILS/LOC RWY 31.

The screen shot I attached is the IAP from the current cycle. Note the info about the missed approach procedure and how it looks and reads "normally".


If you didn't read your NOTAMs, you would be in for a bad surprise if your plan was to fly the primary missed approach (not alternate). Why? The HUB VOR is out of service... permanently.

!HOU 04/073 HUB NAV VOR/DME OUT OF SERVICE 1404291852-PERM

So what to do if you plan to fly this approach? Fortunately, the NOTAMs help here too.

FDC 4/8444 HOU IAP WILLIAM P HOBBY, HOUSTON, TX.
ILS OR LOC RWY 30L, AMDT 6A...
MISSED APPROACH: CLIMB TO 1000 THEN CLIMBING LEFT TURN TO 3000
DIRECT VUH VORTAC AND HOLD. HUB VOR/DME OUT OF SERVICE.
1405290904-1411290904EST


While there are many other examples illustrating the importance of NOTAMs and how to make the most of them, the information about important changes to the IAPs is the most recent one I have learned.

 

[ARFlyer]

That was the one thing my instructor told me to check through NOTAMs. He said IAP can change at anytime and that the only way you knew was via NOTAMs.

Just yesterday, while showing my new IR student how to plan x/c I came across new altitudes for the ILS 4L into KLIT. The altitudes actually went up 200' for some unknown reason. So I showed him how to find the correct plate and fix it.

Here is how I did it on mine!

 

[jordane93]

NOTAM's are definitely important, especially for IFR operations. I was doing a short flight from FRG to BDL in a /U Cherokee. On the way back one of the fixes was GON VOR which was out of service that day and ad to remind approach that it was out of service and they had to give me vectors to the VOR. It an mess you up especially if the ILS is not working

 

[AggieMike88]

Here is how I did it on mine!

The scribble feature has become one of my favorites since doing my IA training.

 

[ARFlyer]

NOTAM's are definitely important, especially for IFR operations. I was doing a short flight from FRG to BDL in a /U Cherokee. On the way back one of the fixes was GON VOR which was out of service that day and ad to remind approach that it was out of service and they had to give me vectors to the VOR. It an mess you up especially if the ILS is not working

I asked ATC yesterday if the PBF VOR was out. I was trying to show a student how to use a crossing radial to define a fix. I dialed up PBF and it went straight to being flagged on my CDI. When I listened to the morse all heard was something along this line: Beeeppp...static..Be....static...Beep...B..static.

I was glad when ATC reported that it was NOTAM'd out, I didn't want to have to report INOP VOR.

 

[flyingron]

As I said, don't forget the class II book (well PDF file these days). At least DUATS stopped timing out FDC notams many years ago but other informative notams are best (and perhaps only) obtained there.

 

[hook_dupin]

Maybe ForeFlight will come up with a feature that red-lines approach plates for given NOTAMS.

 

[petrolero]

Maybe ForeFlight will come up with a feature that red-lines approach plates for given NOTAMS.

That would be nice. This happens a lot.

Take a look at the ILS 35R for KAPA (Centennial Airport, Denver).

The story I heard (probably 9th hand!) was that 'they' discovered recently that the 3 deg GS is too shallow and that something pokes ~20 feet (IIRC) into the lowest surface (not the same as the GS!) for that approach. Whatever that 'thing' is has apparently been there for decades and was surveyed incorrectly or something.

Anyway, they have this NOTAM (translated by FF):

INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURE CENTENNIAL, DENVER, CO. ILS OR LOC RUNWAY 35R, AMENDMENT 9B... CHANGE GLIDESLOPE FROM 3.00/TCH 53 TO 3.10/TCH 58. S-LOC 35R MINIMUMS NA. SIDESTEP 35L MINIMUMS NA. CIRCLING MINIMUMS NA. LECET FIX MINIMUMS (DISTANCE MEASURING EQUIPMENT REQUIRED) NA. 03 SEP 18:24 2014 UNTIL 03 MAR 18:24 2015 ESTIMATED. CREATED: 03 SEP 18:26 2014

This approach is pretty much NOTAM'd to oblivion until they can test fly it (they'll get to it sometime before March 2015 apparently).