Notam Display

There are a number of software packages available that display NOTAM information in a graphical, more readily understandable format. While these provide an at-a-glance representation of where there are current NOTAMs, there have been reports of NOTAMs being plotted incorrectly or not at all. Users should remember that the only definitive source of NOTAMs is the AIS web site and should exercise due caution when using third party viewers.

The following describes what is currently available (March 2009). Inclusion here does not imply BGA approval for these packages and pilots should ensure that they are suitable for their requirements.

NOTAM Plot

A new version of Notamplot (version 2) has been released which uses approved NOTAM data sourced from AvBrief. AvBrief source their NOTAM data from AIS under agreement with NATS Services Ltd. For more details of this new version of NotamPlot, please follow this link. www.notamplot.com

A file containing the current list of BGA TPs which can be used with NotamPlot v2.0 is available on request. If you would like a copy, please EMail Tim Newport-Peace. Thanks to Mike Borrowdale for creating the file and to Ian Fallon, designer of NotamPlot, for his help in explaining some of the finer points of the data format. As always with this type of data, use is entirely at the user's discretion.

NOTAM Pro

Not currently available (?)

NOTAM Check

NOTAM Check is another NOTAM display program. NOTAM Check displays NOTAMs as their true shape and not a 'circle of influence' derived from a Q-line as seen in other NOTAM plotting software. Version 6.03 includes: full English decode of NOTAMs, TAFs and METARs, multiple waypoints for user route; user route can include BGA turn points; Class A, Class D, ATZ and MATZ airspace shown on map. For more information follow this link. www.notamcheck.com.

NOTAMView

NotamView is a tool that displays a UK NOTAM in a graphical format on a map.It is primarily aimed at glider pilots with the ability to place a task planned around BGA turnpoints on the same map and look for potential conflicts. By displaying all the turnpoints on the map, you can easily adjust the task to avoid infringing some temporary airspace. NotamView tries, whenever possible,to draw the true shape of the area covered by a Notam. Since NotamView cannot guarantee to decodeall NOTAMS correctly, it also provides access to the raw download for viewing as well as showing each entry individually for closer examination. Further details can be found at www.notamview.org.uk.

SPINE

SPINE (Soaring Pilot’s Intelligent NOTAMs Editor) provides a simple interface to the AIS web site for downloading NOTAMs. Using its customisable filtering feature, Spine then analyses the NOTAMs and marks those not relevant for deletion. You then browse through the entries, making changes as necessary, then Spine produces a formatted print out of the final selection. The output can be sorted in a number of ways, including by distance and bearing from a fixed location, such as your home airfield, and ranges can be set to restrict the downloaded NOTAMs to a particular area. As well as printing NOTAMs directly, Spine’s output can be saved to a file, either as HTML or in OpenAir format for use with a PDA (running, for example, XCSoar or Winpilot) to display the boundaries of NOTAMed airspace in flight. Further details are at www.enborne.f2s.com/gliding/spine.htm