NOTE
More restrictive weather minimums may be imposed at any
aviation facility for unique climatology or for other safety
considerations. Also, extensions of the 1-hour unscheduled
maintenance period are not authorized.
NOTAM Criteria
The effectiveness of the DOD NOTAM system depends on successfully eliminating
nonessential information. To minimize transmission times and NOTAM summary sizes,
the scope of NOTAM criteria is intentionally limited. Specific NOTAM conditions and
restrictions are contained in OPNAVINST 3721.20. Non-NOTAM information that would
not prohibit safe aircraft operation can be disseminated through other means such as
automatic terminal information service (ATIS), ATC advisories, and Airmen Advisory s
(AIRAD).
NOTAM Codes and Format
The military uses Q-CODES for the ease of dissemination of NOTAMs. Encoding
NOTAMs in this format reduces transmission time over telecommunication channels.
Q-Codes
The Q-code is a five-letter NOTAM code that standardizes subject and condition text by
converting the respective codes into plain language (see Figure 7-2). When the
subject/condition text does not exist/apply, complete the Q-code text with "QXXXX."
Figure 7-2 -- NOTAM Q-code
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