Frequently Asked Questions
Isn't this a service that is provided for free
by AOPA, AeroPlanner, and/or the EAA?
No. AOPA, AeroPlanner, and the EAA have all done a great job of
trying to keep the flying public up-to-date on the latest
restrictions our government has come up with. AOPA has recently
established a great service where they will email members with
information about airspace restrictions affecting their local
area. But all of these services have several drawbacks. Only
NOTAM Tracker provides
- A Real-time and official
briefing. Most web sites get updated every couple of
hours during work days, and maybe not at all on weekends...
you wouldn't want to bet your ticket (and maybe even your
life now!) on outdated information. Since NOTAM Tracker
downloads a new briefing from DUATS, the official FAA
source, everytime you use it, the information will always
be current.
- A Customized Briefing for your
airport or route, including local NOTAMs. The above web
pages, and even AOPA's email service, are orientated only
toward federal airspace restrictions. They won't show
local restrictions such as fire-fighting or law-enforcement
TFRs, and they don't cover local NOTAMs such as runway
lights being out of service.
- A Legal Briefing. Since NOTAM Tracker
uses DUATS, it records your access ID and the N number of
your aircraft when you use it. The FAA says they can use
this information if necessary to verify that you have
received a briefing prior to your flight. NOTAM Tracker
also saves the most recent briefing, so you'll have proof
you got a briefing!
- Ability to upload TFR/Obstruction/Waypoint coordinates to
your GPS. Save time trying to find coordinates on your
sectionals!
Can I export briefings to my Palm Pilot?
Sure. NOTAM Tracker can export its formatted briefing in
either Rich Text or Plain Text to any directory on your computer.
You will then need to transfer the file to your Palm.
How do I get a high-altitude briefing, or other customizations?
Use the "Generic DynCorp" web access option. You can
select any type of briefing supported by DUATS! Once you have
navigated to the page with the briefing on it, just press the
"Process Data" button.
