in my previous life, flight plan data would spit out of a printer, producing a stack of recycled folded paper that we would transport from operations to the cockpit. The stack included the flight plan, takeoff data, crew information, and, of course, NOTAMs.
Most airlines have embraced technology and eliminated paper. Electronic tablets rather than printers now retain flight plan data. Still, reviewing NOTAMs can be a tedious process for an airline pilot, especially if multiple destinations and alternate airports are involved for a typical trip sequence. Honestly, if we took the time to precisely review all the NOTAM information, our flights would be sitting at the gate past departure time.
Even for me now as a GA pilot flying to a destination with one fuel stop in a single-engine airplane, the time spent on preflight briefings would almost double if all the NOTAM information was carefully scrutinized. Raise your hand if you can recite the NOTAM types. If you didn’t raise your hand, join the club. Are you aware that 13—count them—yes, 13 types of NOTAMs are published? Here is a summarized list and a likely cure for insomnia:
1. Class I: Distributed via telecommunication
2. Class II: Distributed via publication every 28 days
3. International: Intended for distribution to more than one country
4. Domestic: Issued in the U.S. and sometimes Canada
5. Civil: Non-military
6. Military: Issued for military airspace and airports
7. FDC: Flight Data Center airway, approach procedures, modifications
8. Center Area: ARTCC airspace that involves more than one airport
9. NOTAM D: Distributed beyond jurisdiction of local FSS or ATC
10. NOTAM U: Originates from unofficial source not verified by airport manager
11. NOTAM O: Not technically a NOTAM but deemed useful for aircraft operations
12. SAA: Special Activity Airspace when used at different time than normal
13. Pointer: Brings attention to another NOTAM
Deciphering NOTAMs requires the skill set of an intelligence analyst. As an airline pilot, our frequency of reviewing the information did assist with proficiency in disseminating most of the typical types, but I would be stumped occasionally with an unfamiliar abbreviation. The FAA buries the abbreviations, or as the agency calls them, “contractions,” in a lengthy document called Order JO 7340.2K. The contractions, inclusive of three-Letter identifiers for every commercial aviation operation in the world and possibly beyond, are listed from A to Z.
Fortunately, most flight planning apps translate NOTAMs into plain language, so the guilt of skipping through the data and potentially missing an important item is reduced. Which brings me to the Weather Company’s Maverick Dispatch platform. Most of us are familiar with the actual Weather Channel, which became a part of the Weather Company in 2012 as more digital products became an integral part of the organization. The cable TV network portion is now a separate entity owned by a separate company.
Although Weather Services International (WSI) falls under the Weather Company umbrella and has melted into the background, its name is familiar to professional pilots who utilize the Pilotbrief Optima app or the online website. Pilotbrief Optima is an app that not only incorporates detailed and intricate weather information but provides everything from approach plates to takeoff data. I still consider WSI as the gold standard for all things weather.
The Maverick Dispatch platform combines all of the WSI products and then adds detailed real-time information for airline operations while tracking flights around the globe. The platform provides the tools to make appropriate decisions in coordination with flight crews from the macro level to the micro level, from airway to taxiway. Dispatchers have a greater situational awareness that can be further enhanced through a layered selection process on their monitor screens, literally offering the big picture view.
So, back to NOTAMs. The Weather Company has now added the “Smart NOTAM” AI product into the tool chest of Maverick Dispatch. Not only does the product translate NOTAMs into plain language, but it prioritizes their importance. Runway closures are at the top of the list, followed by runway conditions, taxiway closures, taxiway conditions, and then approach procedures. If needed, all of the NOTAMs can be accessed in the standard format.
Dispatchers and pilots understand the impact of a runway closure. It can certainly delay departures and arrivals. Takeoff and landing data for the alternate runway has to be calculated, and if it has a shorter length, then passenger and cargo loads may have to be restricted. But what about inoperative approach lights? Landing minimums may be higher, which might risk a go-around if the forecast weather is deteriorating. These are just some of the examples reinforcing the need for prioritizing NOTAM data.
Many factors can influence the on-time performance of any given flight, notwithstanding influencing safety concerns. A great feature of Maverick Dispatch is its ability to graphically display the potential impact of weather on any given arrival or departure based on the forecast. An AI function deemed “TrAKR,” or Terminal Airspace Convection Risk, assists dispatchers with predicting where and when an airport will be most affected.
As an example, if thunderstorms are forecast for a particular airport, the most likely time a specific sector will be affected is presented as a colored bar code from green to yellow to red, with the latter being the time to avoid. As a result, the dispatcher might consider it a better decision to delay a flight at the gate. The historic forecast weather data is compiled for its reliability so as to provide more future accuracy.
At a glance, the dispatcher can simply review colors on a list of selected airports, noting the green, yellow, and red underneath the categories of ceiling, visibility, wind, and runway visual range (RVR). Airborne traffic can be tracked on a map display in real time from a large geographic region like the North Atlantic to the airport terminal level. Airplanes can even be tracked on the surface of an airport with actual taxi times for both arrivals and departures.
Spirit Airlines is the launch customer for Maverick Dispatch, with Breeze Airways and Horizon Air also on board. Six more undisclosed airlines will soon be using the platform. Ravi Vanmali, the Weather Company’s vice president of aviation, described the system as a “unique niche,” and a “first-class weather product.”
Although my exposure as a pilot to the Weather Company’s product was primarily through the Pilotbrief Optima app and its online website, I am certain its dispatch platform will prove superior based on my past experience. Certainly, other platforms have similar attributes to Maverick Dispatch, but what attracted me to write about this product is the innovation behind Smart NOTAMs, which is emblematic of the company’s dedication to improve.
Explaining the tedious process of reviewing NOTAMs for my GA flying, I nudged Vanmali that an app similar to Pilotbrief Optima for us little airplane folks would be welcomed. He hinted that the idea was being considered.
Cool. I volunteered to be the first beta tester.
This column first appeared in the January Issue 966 of the FLYING print edition.