Guidance on the Issuance of SNOWTAM and NOTAM’s Guidelines
The iJET Team analyzes NOTAM and SNOWTAM information to identify potential closures, allowing them to choose an alternative airport or depart earlier. Keeping our private jet clients’ safety and efficiency in mind is important to our Flight Team.
Notice to Airmen (FAA NOTAM), also known as Notice to Air Missions, is a document that provides information about aeronautical facilities, services, procedures, and hazards, which personnel involved in flight operations need to be aware of as soon as possible.
NOTAMs given in a special series are known as SNOWTAMs and provide a surface condition report that provides information on hazardous conditions due to snow, ice, slush, frost, standing water, or water associated with these conditions.
In case of water, snow, ice, slush, or frost on an operational runway, the aerodrome operator will assess the runway surface condition. When a new runway condition report is received, a new SNOWTAM will be issued. SNOWTAM has a maximum validity of eight hours. A new SNOWTAM replaces the previous one. The unit of measurement should not be reported and metric units must be used.
In Which Cases NOTAM Decoder is Applied?
A NOTAM decoder is communicated by the issuing agency to all addressees who would not otherwise receive at least seven days’ notice and whom the information is considered to be of direct operational significance.
As part of pre-flight planning, flight crews or NOTAM manager can access current NOTAM aviation access through airport Flight Briefing Facilities provided to all aircraft operators or through a ‘tailored access’ system provided by their Company that provides only access to relevant NOTAMS. National authorities issue NOTAMs for a variety of reasons, including:
- State and government officials’ flights
- The closure of runways, taxiways, etc.
- Navaids that are no longer serviceable
- Tall obstructions with unserviceable lights
- Airfields may temporarily erect obstacles.
Implementation of SNOWTAM
When a runway is subject to water, snow, slush, ice, or frost, the aerodrome operator evaluates the runway surface conditions. New SNOWTAMs are issued whenever new runway condition reports are received and are valid for a maximum of 8 hours. As a result of the new SNOWTAM, the previous one is canceled. It is mandatory to use metric units and not to report the unit of measurement.
SNOWTAM’s Sections
1. Aeroplane Performance Calculation
There are 8 items in the aeroplane performance calculation section (A-G). It is encouraged to use the date and time of the assessment for each runway in the aeroplane performance calculation section before the situational awareness section when reporting on more than one runway.
Item A
Indicates the location of the aerodrome.
Item B
A month, day, hour, and minute at the time of observation in UTC are included in the eight-figure date/time group.
Item C
It is the number that appears in the lower part of the runway designator. For each runway, only a single runway designator is inserted.
Item D
An indication of the runway condition for each third of the runway. Each runway third is represented by a single digit. Condition codes are determined by the type, depth, and temperature of the contaminants. Braking action is better when the number is higher.
Item E
Percentage of runway coverage for each third. Information on runway conditions is provided only for runway thirds with other than 6 runway conditions (Item D) and with other than DRY runway conditions (Item G).
Item F
The length of the loose contaminant in millimetres for each runway third. When the conditions are not reported, “NR” is used. Information provided here is only for:
- Water that is standing
- A slushy substance
- Snow that is wet
- Snow that is dry
Item G
Every runway third is described in terms of its condition. It is mandatory to complete this item. In the absence of conditions, “NR” is used. Among the words and phrases used are:
- COMPACTED SNOW
- DRY
- DRY SNOW
- DRY SNOW ON TOP OF COMPACTED SNOW
- DRY SNOW ON TOP OF ICE
- FROST
- ICE
- SLUSH
- STANDING WATER
- WATER ON TOP OF COMPACTED SNOW
- WET
- WET ICE
- WET SNOW
- WET SNOW ON TOP OF COMPACTED SNOW
- WET SNOW ON TOP OF ICE
2. Situational Awareness Section
The situational awareness section contains 11 items (I-T). This section excludes elements for which there is no information available, or where the conditions for publication have not been met.
Item I
The runway length has been reduced, example: “RWY 14L REDUCED TO 3500”
Item J
In the case of drifting snow on the runway, example: “DRIFTING SNOW”.
Item K
The runway is covered with loose sand, example: “RWY 14L LOOSE SAND”
Item L
In the case of the runway, chemical treatment is applied, example: “RWY 14L CHEMICALLY TREATED”
Item M
In the case of snow banks on the runway, example: “RWY 14L SNOW BANK L20 FM CL” (a snow bank located 20 meters from the runway’s centerline); LR is used in the case of banks on both sides of the runway.
Item N
Banks of snow on a taxiway, example: “TWY A SNOW BANK”
Item O
In the aerodrome snow plan, snow banks adjacent to the runway, example: “RWY 14L ADJ SNOW BANKS”
Item P
The condition of the taxiway, examples: “TWY B POOR”
Item R
Conditions of the apron, examples: “APRON WEST POOR”
Item S
The coefficient of friction was measured. An approved measurement device must be used by the State if there is an established program of runway friction measurement.
Item T
Remarks in plain language.
SNOWTAMs and NOTAMs are Supported by iJET
Partner with iJET, your flight support partner who is aware of all the latest NOTAMs and SNOWTAMs. Providing our clients with this information enables us to inform them of any specific restrictions or information about their flight route, resulting in a smooth and punctual flight.
