Register

Check Notams

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Even short, local flights require pre-flight planning, including checking NOTAMs for potential TFRs and airport closures.
  • Failure to check NOTAMs can result in serious consequences, ranging from fines and license suspension to criminal charges and even deadly force by law enforcement.
  • NOTAMs provide crucial information about airport closures, navigational aid outages, and other factors affecting flight safety.
  • Always check NOTAMs before every flight, regardless of duration or familiarity with the route, to ensure a safe and legal flight.
See a mistake? Contact us.

It seems like one of the simplest flights possible. Grab your flight bag and head off to the airport to practice some touch-and-goes. There is obviously no need for flight planning. The weather is beautiful and forecast to stay that way, so there is no need to check the weather. You are not planning to leave the pattern, so there is no need to plot a route or check DUAT.

One pilot who took this approach got a rude awakening about the importance of carefully planning each and every flight. As reported in NASA’s March Callback newsletter, the pilot happily took off at his local airport to do some pattern work. Almost immediately he was contacted by the local FBO, who informed him that they had been contacted by the Transportation Security Administration and asked to notify whoever had just taken off to land immediately.

Ready to Sell Your Aircraft?

List your airplane on AircraftForSale.com and reach qualified buyers.

List Your Aircraft
AircraftForSale Logo | FLYING Logo
Pilot in aircraft
Sign-up for newsletters & special offers!

Get the latest stories & special offers delivered directly to your inbox.

SUBSCRIBE