NOTAMs (Notice to Aviation)
(Notices to Aviation) NOTAMs are notices issued by us to inform airspace users about aeronautical facilities, services, procedures and hazards.
A NOTAM may be appropriate for certain out-of-the-ordinary drone or model aircraft operations, such as flying near a hospital where air ambulances may fly.
NATS provides more information on the NOTAM system in section GEN 3.1 of the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) (opens in a new tab) and in their UK NOTAM Guidance Material (opens in a new tab).
About NATS
NATS is a provider of air traffic control and other aviation services in the UK. It is licensed and certified to provide the UK AIS.
When NOTAMS may be appropriate for drone or model aircraft activity
You should notify other airspace users of any temporary, out-of-the-ordinary drone or model aircraft operations, such as:
- flying Beyond Visual Line of Site (BVLOS) with visual mitigations
- flying near to an area of known helicopter activity, such as a hospital
Areas of known helicopter activity
Areas of known helicopter activity include areas such as:
- hospitals with air ambulance activity, where helicopter flights are often unannounced and have a high priority for medical reasons
- known helicopter landing sites
- racetracks
You should also tell the site before you fly there.
How to request a NOTAM
You will usually identify whether your operation requires a NOTAM during your planning and safety case preparation.
We've changed the way to notify us.
Log in to the CAA customer portal
You'll need to register if you have not already done so.
Allow a minimum of five working days notice for NOTAM requests
Always allow at least five working days before your planned activity.
At busy times, we may not be able to process requests in that timescale.
What happens next
We will email to confirm we have received your request.
We will compare your event or activity against other known activity where we would support the co-ordination and deconfliction of any conflicting activities. We will contact you if we need to clarify any details.
We will email you our response.