The FAA has rolled out a new online search tool that will help make it easier for pilots to find Notices to Airmen relevant to their planned flight. The tool “means that the days of rooting around trying to find applicable Notams while planning for a flight are just about over,” says NBAA. The new tool adds to recent improvements already in place. The FAA says that by late 2015, when the new digital system is complete, it will be faster and easier to submit Notams; content will be easier to read, filter, and search; and users will be able to receive Notams on multiple data devices.
The new search capability now online “will benefit every flight operation in the U.S.,” said Bob Lamond, NBAA’s director of air traffic services and infrastructure. Enhancements now available include the ability to search by flight route and time period, Lamond said. Filters for specific keywords are available, and an updated user interface permits Google-style searches, multiple layout options and the ability to easily print documents in PDF format. Coming upgrades will enable pilots to create user profiles, which will save search preferences, settings, preferred airports and more. New filter enhancements also will include the ability to search by procedure type and runway characteristics.
