Ask a Flight Instructor

Posts Tagged ‘NOTAM’

Right now I’m sitting at an airport, and as I look out the FBO window it is all too painfully obvious, that winter weather is here.  Along with the snowy icy weather comes a new array of NOTAMS and their confusing contractions.  Here are some of the most commonly used winter weather NOTAM contractions and definitions:

• BERM – Snowbank/s Containing Earth Gravel
• BRAF – Braking Action Fair
• BRAG – Braking Action Good
• BRAN – Braking Action Nill
• BRAP – Braking Action Poor
• DRFT/DRFTD – Drift/Drifted Snowbank/s Caused by Wind Action
• FRZN SLR – Frozen Slush on Runway/s
• LSR – Loose Snow on Runway/s
• MU – Designate a Friction Value Representing Runway Surface Conditions
• PLW – Plow / Plowed
• PSR – Packed Snow on Runway/s
• RUF – Rough
• SIR – Packed or Compacted Snow and Ice on Runway/s
• SLR – Slush on Runway/s
• SNBNK – Snowbank/s Caused by Plowing
• SND – Sand / Sanded
• SNW – Snow
• WSR – Wet Snow on Runways
• WTR – Water on Runways
• IR – Ice on Runway

Another good winter weather review activity is to complete the NASA Aircraft Icing Training Course or watch the NASA Aircraft Icing Procedures videos:

We have heard it before, “A good pilot is always learning.” Well, I learned something this morning and I wanted to share it with you.

I was doing some preflight planning and I ran across this NOTAM:

Rwy 3/21 PAEW ADJ

I did a little research and learned that PAEW ADJ stands for:

Personnel and equipment on or adjacent to runway

So what that probably means is that people are most likely mowing the airport and might be in the vicinity of the runway so I better do my best to keep it on the centerline.

Here is the link where I learned this information:

http://www.faa.gov/airports_airtraffic/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/ntm/not0501.html

Fly Safe.