How to Read an FAA Temporary Flight Restriction NOTAM

Raw NOTAM text can appear intimidating to newer aviators and drone operators. With its telegraphic contractions, uppercase typography, and packed aeronautical coordinates, parsing a restriction requires understanding a few standardized conventions.

Deconstructing the NOTAM Header

Every Flight Data Center (FDC) NOTAM begins with issuing identifiers:

!FDC 6/1234 ZMA FL..AIRSPACE PALM BEACH, FL..

!FDC: Identifies a Flight Data Center regulatory notice affecting aeronautical charts or flight restrictions.
6/1234: The official NOTAM number (issuing year identifier and sequence number).
ZMA: The responsible Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC), in this case Miami Center.
FL..AIRSPACE PALM BEACH, FL: The state and named location of the affected airspace.

Statutory Authority and Purpose

The NOTAM specifies the legal basis under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations:

TEMPORARY FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS PURSUANT TO 14 CFR SECTION 91.141...

The cited CFR section defines the operational rules:

91.137: Disaster and hazard areas (firefighting, floods, chemical incidents).
91.141: Protection of the President, Vice President, or other designated VIPs.
91.143: Flight limitations in proximity of space flight operations.
91.145: Aerial demonstrations and major sporting events.
99.7: Special security instructions.

Geographic and Vertical Boundaries

Airspace geometry is defined by radial boundaries from an aeronautical nav aid or lat/lon coordinates:

WI A 30 NMR OF 264040N0800600W SFC-17999FT MSL

WI A 30 NMR: Within a 30-nautical-mile radius.
264040N0800600W: Degrees, minutes, and seconds of latitude and longitude (26 deg 40 min 40 sec North, 80 deg 06 min 00 sec West).
SFC-17999FT MSL: Vertical envelope extending from the surface up to 17,999 feet Mean Sea Level.