Updated October 2026
A NOTAM, a Notice to Airmen, is a time-critical notice from the FAA about something that has changed and is not on the chart yet: a closed runway, a navaid out of service, a crane near an approach, or a temporary flight restriction. A TFR is the kind that closes a piece of sky. Around Los Angeles at least one is always active, the permanent 3-nautical-mile circle over Disneyland.
Most TFR violations are not reckless. They happen to pilots who checked the weather and skipped the notices, or checked the evening before and missed one issued that morning. Here is how to read both kinds, where to find them, and the restrictions a pilot flying out of Van Nuys actually meets.
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What A NOTAM Is (Notice To Airmen) And Who Issues It
The name has moved around. The FAA renamed NOTAMs Notice to Air Missions in December 2021 and went back to Notice to Airmen in February 2025, which is the title the current AIM uses in paragraph 5-1-3. The abbreviation never changed, and neither did the job.
NOTAMs carry information that is temporary, or that will be charted later, or that has not reached the other publications. A notice can go out up to 7 days before the activity it describes, and it is cancelled when the condition ends or the change is printed on the chart. The FAA publishes them, the regulatory ones as FDC NOTAMs, and the armed services issue their own for military airports and navaids.
The legal hook is 14 CFR 91.103. Before every flight the pilot in command must become familiar with all available information concerning it, and the AIM spells out that NOTAMs are part of that information.
NOTAM Types: D, FDC, Military, Pointer, SAA
| Type | What It Covers | Typical Example On A Local Flight |
|---|---|---|
| NOTAM (D) | Airports, runways, taxiways, lighting, navaids, communications and services, and airspace activity | A runway closure at Van Nuys, a VOR out of service on your route |
| FDC NOTAM | Regulatory notices: TFRs, instrument procedure and chart amendments, laser activity, GPS and WAAS status | A wildfire TFR, a change to an approach chart |
| Pointer NOTAM | A short notice pointing to another one, such as a TFR or an airshow, under the same keyword | A pointer at a nearby airport toward a stadium TFR |
| SAA | Special activity airspace: activation of restricted areas, MOAs and other special use airspace, carried as NOTAM (D) airspace notices | A restricted area active over the Mojave on a route north |
| Military | Issued by the services for military and joint-use airports and navaids, in international format | Point Mugu, on the coastal route to Santa Barbara |
Two more groups exist. International NOTAMs use the ICAO format, and US domestic security notices are filed under the location identifier KZZZ. A student flying out of Van Nuys reads mostly D and FDC notices.
How To Read A NOTAM Line By Line
A domestic NOTAM (D) opens with the accountability location, printed with an exclamation mark in front of it on the real notice. Then come the NOTAM number, the location affected, a keyword, the condition and the effective times. Here is a sample written for this page, shown without the leading mark. It is not a real NOTAM.
VNY 10/321 VNY RWY 16L/34R CLSD 2611040600-2611041300
| Piece | Meaning |
|---|---|
| VNY (first) | Accountability location, the office responsible for the notice |
| 10/321 | NOTAM number: month and serial |
| VNY (second) | The location affected |
| RWY | The keyword, or subject |
| 16L/34R CLSD | The condition: the short runway is closed |
| 2611040600-2611041300 | From 0600Z to 1300Z on 4 November 2026, which is 10 PM to 5 AM Pacific Standard Time |
Keywords to know: RWY, TWY, APRON, AD for aerodrome, OBST for obstruction, NAV, COM, SVC for services such as fuel, AIRSPACE, and the instrument set of IAP, SID, STAR, ODP and CHART. Times are UTC in the form year, month, day, hour, minute. EST after an end time means estimated, and PERM means permanent. A long run of OBST notices about cranes is normal at any big-city airport. Read them anyway, because the one standing near your approach path will be in that list.
FDC NOTAMs read more like plain text. The Disneyland restriction, FDC 4/3635, was issued in October 2015 for special security reasons under 14 CFR 99.7. It prohibits all flight operations within 3 nautical miles of the park, from the surface up to and including 3,000 feet AGL. The exceptions are aircraft authorized by and in contact with ATC and a short list of others, such as law enforcement and air ambulances.
What A TFR Is And The 91.137 To 91.145 Family
A temporary flight restriction is airspace closed or limited by NOTAM. Each one rests on a regulation, and the regulation decides who may still fly inside.
| Section | What It Covers | Who May Still Fly Inside |
|---|---|---|
| 91.137(a)(1) | A hazard on the surface, such as a toxic spill | Only relief aircraft directed by the on-scene official |
| 91.137(a)(2) | A safe space for disaster relief aircraft, which is most wildfire TFRs | Relief aircraft, law enforcement, approved IFR flights, flights to airports inside with notice, accredited news under conditions |
| 91.137(a)(3) | Sightseeing congestion over an incident of high public interest | A similar list, never for a look at the incident |
| 91.138 | National disaster areas in Hawaii | Not a factor here |
| 91.139 | Emergency air traffic rules | As the NOTAM states |
| 91.141 | The President, Vice President and other public figures | As the NOTAM states |
| 91.143 | Space flight operations | Only when authorized by ATC |
| 91.144 | Abnormally high barometric pressure | As the NOTAM states |
| 91.145 | Aerial demonstrations and major sporting events | As the NOTAM states, or with ATC authorization |
| 99.7 | Special security instructions, including the stadium and Disneyland restrictions | Aircraft authorized by and in contact with ATC, plus listed exceptions |
Section 91.145 gives the usual sizes. An aerial demonstration such as the Blue Angels is normally limited to a 5-nautical-mile radius, up to 17,000 feet MSL for high-performance aircraft. A major sporting event is normally 3 nautical miles and 2,500 feet above the surface, and the NOTAM has to be issued at least 30 days ahead unless the FAA finds good cause for less.
Under 91.137(a)(2), a news flight must carry accredited news representatives, file a flight plan before entering, and stay above the altitude the relief aircraft use unless the on-scene official allows otherwise. A private pilot curious to see the fire is on none of those lists.
LA TFRs You Will Meet: Stadiums, Disneyland, Presidential Visits, Wildfires, Vandenberg Launches
Stadiums. The standing sporting-event restriction, FDC 4/3621, closes the airspace within 3 nautical miles of any stadium with 30,000 or more seats, from the surface to 3,000 feet AGL. It runs from one hour before a qualifying event until one hour after it ends. Qualifying means a regular-season or postseason Major League Baseball, NFL or NCAA Division I football game, or a NASCAR Sprint Cup, IndyCar or Champ Series race. Around Los Angeles that puts circles on Dodger Stadium, SoFi Stadium, the Coliseum, the Rose Bowl and Angel Stadium on game days. The FAA classifies this airspace as national defense airspace under 49 U.S.C. 40103(b), which is why the penalties can be criminal.
The biggest events get their own NOTAM under 91.145, and the regulation names the Tournament of Roses Football Game and the Summer Olympic Games among its examples. Los Angeles hosts the Summer Games in 2028, so expect large published restrictions across the basin that summer.
Disneyland. The 3-nautical-mile, 3,000-foot AGL circle over the Anaheim park never switches off. It lies south-east of downtown, well away from the usual Van Nuys routes, but it sits under a straight line drawn toward the Orange County coast.
Presidential and VIP visits. Restrictions under 91.141 arrive with little warning, can cover a large part of the basin and change shape as the visit moves. They are the TFRs most likely to appear after you planned the flight.
Wildfires. Fire season in the hills around the Valley brings 91.137(a)(2) TFRs over the Santa Susanas, the Santa Monicas and the San Gabriels. They go up at short notice to protect tankers, helicopters and lead planes working low. Smoke cuts visibility for miles downwind, so the TFR is often not the only reason to stay away.
Vandenberg launches. Vandenberg Space Force Base, on the coast north-west of Santa Barbara, launches rockets regularly, and launches bring space-operations NOTAMs under 91.143. Check them before any flight up the coast past Santa Barbara. The closed areas can be large and usually reach out over the ocean.
Where To Check (FAA NOTAM Search, Flight Service, ForeFlight) And When
Three sources carry the same notices: the FAA's NOTAM Search website, Flight Service at 1-800-WX-BRIEF or 1800wxbrief.com, and the briefing in an app such as ForeFlight. The FAA's graphic TFR site, tfr.faa.gov, draws the shapes on a map, which is the quickest way to see whether a restriction touches your route.
A standard briefing from Flight Service includes the NOTAMs that apply to your flight, and AIM 5-1-1 tells you to remind the specialist if any are left out. Some items, such as general notices about procedures and special flight rules areas, are given only if you ask.
Check the evening before, to plan. Check again before engine start, because TFRs go up with a few hours' notice. On a long flight, ask Flight Service or the controller giving you flight following about your destination. Then write the time of your last check on the nav log; our free VFR nav log has a box for it. The weather side of the same briefing is decoded in our guide to reading a METAR and TAF.
What Happens If You Bust A TFR
If you are lucky, a controller calls you first. If you are not talking to anyone, the first sign may be an interceptor off your wing. AIM 5-6-13 tells an intercepted pilot to follow its instructions and call on 121.5 MHz or 243.0 with identity, position and the nature of the flight. Squawk 7700 unless ATC says otherwise, and keep complying until released. The interceptor rocking its wings and turning slowly means follow me. You rock your wings and follow (AIM 5-6-14).
After landing you may be handed a phone number and the words "possible pilot deviation." The FAA can suspend or revoke a certificate for a TFR violation. For the security restrictions over stadiums and Disneyland, 49 U.S.C. 46307 adds criminal penalties for knowing or willful violations: a fine and up to a year in prison for a first offense, and up to five years for a repeat.
The defense is dull and it works. Get a briefing that includes NOTAMs before every flight, including the local lesson you have flown twenty times, and ask for flight following when you leave the area. The structure you are flying around is in our Los Angeles airspace guide. The trips where a coastal or desert TFR is most likely to matter are on our list of cross-country destinations from Van Nuys.
Related Reading
- Flying in Los Angeles airspace: the Class B, the corridors and Van Nuys.
- How to read a METAR and TAF: the weather half of the briefing.
- Cross-country destinations from Van Nuys: where the coastal and desert TFRs come into play.
- How to read a sectional chart: what the chart shows, and what only the NOTAMs show.
- Part 91 rules every private pilot must know: 91.103 and its neighbours.
NOTAM And TFR FAQ
What Does NOTAM Stand For?
Notice to Airmen, the title used in the current AIM. Between December 2021 and 2025 the FAA called it Notice to Air Missions, so you will see both names in older study material. The meaning is the same: a time-critical notice about a change that is not yet on the chart.
What Is A TFR In Aviation?
A temporary flight restriction, published as a NOTAM under one of 14 CFR 91.137 to 91.145 or as a special security instruction under 99.7. It closes or limits a defined block of airspace for a set time, such as 3 nautical miles around a stadium during a game.
How Big Is A Stadium TFR?
Under FDC NOTAM 4/3621, 3 nautical miles around a stadium with 30,000 or more seats, from the surface to 3,000 feet AGL. It lasts from one hour before a qualifying MLB, NFL, NCAA Division I football or major motor-racing event until one hour after it ends.
Is There A Permanent TFR Over Disneyland?
Yes. FDC NOTAM 4/3635, issued in October 2015 under 14 CFR 99.7, prohibits flight within 3 nautical miles of Disneyland in Anaheim from the surface up to and including 3,000 feet AGL. Aircraft authorized by and in contact with ATC, and a short list of others, are exempt.
How Far In Advance Are TFRs Issued?
It depends on the type. Section 91.145 requires at least 30 days' notice for aerial demonstrations and major sporting events unless there is good cause. Wildfire and VIP restrictions can appear within hours, which is why you check again on the day.
What Should I Do If I Am Intercepted?
Follow the interceptor's instructions and call on 121.5 MHz with your identity, position and the nature of your flight. Squawk 7700 unless ATC tells you otherwise, and keep complying until you are released, as AIM 5-6-13 describes. Rocking your wings tells the interceptor you understand and will comply.
Do Student Pilots Need To Check NOTAMs Before Every Flight?
Yes. 14 CFR 91.103 applies to every pilot in command, student or not, and your instructor will review your NOTAM check before signing a solo cross-country endorsement. A local lesson needs it too, because a wildfire TFR can go up over the practice area overnight.
Learn To Brief Before You Fly
A good briefing is a habit, and habits are built early. Start with a discovery flight from Van Nuys, $229 for 60 minutes in the left seat, and watch your instructor run the weather and NOTAM check first. When you are ready to train, the private pilot license in Los Angeles starts at $10,400, and you can book a free consultation or call (818) 330-1318 any day from 9 AM to 9 PM.
Book A Discovery Flight — $229 Book A Free Consultation Call (818) 330-1318
