NOTAMs

NOTAMs (Notice to Airmen) are formal notices that pilots can read and acknowledge. Unlike Alerts, NOTAMs track who has read them and can require acknowledgement before pilots can book flights.

Accessing NOTAMs

In Orwell, go to Communications → NOTAMs. You need the View NOTAMs permission.

Creating a NOTAM

Each NOTAM requires:

Field	Description
Title	Bold heading for the NOTAM (max 255 characters)
Content	Rich text content with formatting and file attachments
Type	Visual style: Success, Danger, Warning, Info, Secondary
Priority	Low, Medium, or High - affects display ordering and badge colour
Must Read	When enabled, pilots must acknowledge before booking flights
Tag	Optional label to categorise NOTAMs (e.g., "Maintenance", "Policy")
Redirect URL	Optional - redirects pilots to an external page instead of showing content
Start/Stop Showing	Visibility window (Zulu time). Leave Stop empty for permanent.

Must Read NOTAMs

The Must Read option is the key difference between NOTAMs and Alerts.

When a Must Read NOTAM is active:

1. Pilots are redirected to the NOTAMs page when they try to access booking or dispatch

2. They must open and read the NOTAM

3. They must click the acknowledge button to confirm they have read it

4. Only then can they proceed to book and fly

Non-Must Read NOTAMs are automatically marked as read when a pilot opens them.

Redirect NOTAMs

If you maintain NOTAMs elsewhere (your own website, a custom vAMSYS page), use the Redirect URL field.

When pilots click a redirect NOTAM:

• They're immediately redirected to your URL

• The NOTAM is automatically marked as read

• The Content field is ignored (not displayed)

Where Pilots See NOTAMs

Phoenix Dashboard: NOTAMs appear in a dashboard widget showing priority, read status, and expiry.

NOTAMs Page: Dedicated page (Phoenix → NOTAMs) with the full list. Unread and Must Read NOTAMs are highlighted.

The dashboard widget displays:

• Priority badge (colour-coded)

• Read status: Must Read (red), Unread (amber), Read (green)

• Expiry date

• NOTAM title

Tracking Readership

The NOTAMs table in Orwell shows how many pilots have read each NOTAM. This helps you gauge whether important notices are being seen.

To reset read status (forcing pilots to read again):

1. Edit the NOTAM

2. Enable Reset Read Status

3. Save

This is useful after significant content updates when you need pilots to re-read the notice.

Discord Integration

If you have Discord notifications configured with a NOTAM channel, new NOTAMs are automatically posted.

Enable Resend Notification to Discord when editing to post again after updates.

Filtering NOTAMs

The Orwell table offers several filters:

• Permanent notices - Show/hide NOTAMs without expiry dates

• Date range - Filter by when NOTAMs end

• Type - Filter by visual style

• Priority - Filter by Low/Medium/High

• Must Read - Show only mandatory NOTAMs

Avoiding NOTAM Fatigue

Must Read NOTAMs require acknowledgement one at a time. If you have 20 old Must Read NOTAMs still active, every new pilot joining your VA must click through all 20 before they can book their first flight. This creates a terrible first impression and pilots may leave before they even start.

Regular Maintenance

Schedule regular reviews of your NOTAMs:

• Review monthly - Check which NOTAMs are still relevant. Delete or expire outdated ones.

• Audit Must Read status - Does that 2-year-old policy NOTAM still need Must Read? If existing pilots have seen it, disable Must Read so new pilots can skip it.

• Use expiry dates - Time-sensitive NOTAMs (events, temporary procedures) should always have a Stop Showing date.

• Consolidate - Multiple related NOTAMs can often be merged into one. Five small policy updates become one comprehensive policy NOTAM.

Alternatives to Must Read NOTAMs

Not everything needs to be a Must Read NOTAM:

Content	Better Option
Welcome/getting started guide	Welcome email or custom page
Permanent VA rules	Custom page linked from dashboard
One-time announcements	Timed Alert with expiry
Historical information	Regular NOTAM (not Must Read)

Tips

• Use Must Read sparingly - Reserve it for genuinely important notices. Overuse causes frustration.

• Set appropriate priorities - High priority NOTAMs appear first and are highlighted.

• Use tags consistently - Tags help organise NOTAMs. Decide on categories and stick to them.

• Set expiry dates - Time-sensitive NOTAMs should auto-expire.

• Monitor readership - If important NOTAMs aren't being read, consider making them Must Read.

• Use redirects for external content - If you maintain detailed documentation elsewhere, redirect rather than duplicate.

Related

• Alerts - Quick banner announcements without read tracking