Ahhh NOTAMS...

Is any part of being a pilot more cumbersome than trying to check NOTAMS? Either you call flight service and the briefer rattles off dozens of of them far too fast to copy, or you find a good website and still end up with a couple pages of cryptic language that may or may not be current information. How about TFRs? You have to look in a completely different section on even the best websites. Best of all, NOTAMs only need to be published about 2 hours before they take effect so if your time from checking NOTAMs to landing at your destination is more than a 2.0, you might not have any way to find out about issues before you land. What a pain!

Don't get too disgruntled yet though, according to PressofAtlanticCity.com, Atlantic City International Airport is testing out a new system that could streamline this process.

The approach is actually pretty simple: cut out the middle man. Just as the internet has allowed us to buy directly from manufacturers or individuals on sites like eBay, this new system hopes that airports will be able to post their notices directly to the NOTAM system. Being able to bypass the bureaucracy of the FAA and possibly the waste of other third-party contractors would be a huge bonus for the NOTAM system.

As long as we're talking about using new technology, why not take this a step further? Many GPS/avionics systems out there (even a lot of the cheap ones) allow pilots to get updated weather reports, winds aloft, weather radar and even listen to satellite radio. Why not set up a system that displays NOTAMs directly onto the MFD of a big glass panel or even handheld GPS system?

I think any way we can cut government bureaucracy out of a system will make it faster and more efficient. I'm looking forward to seeing how things go at Atlantic City and I hope the idea catches on.

What do you think, is an in-cockpit NOTAM display realistic? Would pilots use it? Would it be worth a little extra cost - maybe as a small subscription fee? Leave a comment and let us know what you think...