Introduction
...
2.6 Within the AIS Stakeholders’ working arrangements of EUROCONTROL, the AI Operations Sub-group discussed during 2012 the usage of abbreviations in NOTAM. The Sub-group prepared input to ICAO proposing to indicate in ICAO Document 8400 (Abbreviations and Codes)
which which abbreviations/acronyms that should be used in NOTAM and which that should be spelled out. The objective was to increase the readability and the understanding of the NOTAM text by harmonising the usage of abbreviations in the free text.
...
2.7 The EUROCONTROL Pre-digital NOTAM Templates document [Ref.7] applies document
applies to a certain extent the principle of spelled out text in item E on words such as “closed”, “available”, “activation”, “active”, “activated” and “unserviceable”, and on acronyms that are not commonly known.
...
Proposed approach
1.1 This section contains proposed rules for the use of a mix of upper and lower case in the Digital NOTAM Specification, part 3, “Decoding”. Theseruleswill apply to the text elements used in the templates for the NOTAM items E and also for the writing of the text in items D, F and G[PE1] . It includes rules for the formatting of abbreviations and acronyms, with the purpose to provide a clear, meaningful and easy to read text for the user.
1.2 Uppercase characters shall always be used for:
· The first letter in a sentence.
· Each first letter of a name (such as Brussels South)[PE2] .
· Each first letter of certain acronyms that are spelled out
Note: To be discussed to which acronyms this rule shall apply to avoid uppercase text such as “Climb To And Maintain”, “Feet Per Minute”, “TouchDown Zone”.
Note: acronyms to which this rule does not apply: airspace types (such as TRA - will be written "temporary restricted area"), etc.
· Acronyms that are not spelled out (such as VOR, SID, NOTAM, AIP, etc.).
· Location indicators.
· Designators (such as five-letter ICAO designators for waypoint, navigation aid designators, route/SID/STAR designators, airspace designators, etc.).
· Specified abbreviations (see paragraph 5.5).
1.3 Lowercase characters shall always be used for:
· Consecutive text after the first letter in a sentence.
· Abbreviations[PE3] , except those specifically mentioned as to be written otherwise.
· Spelled out abbreviations and acronyms.
1.4 Mix of uppercase and lowercase
· Unit of measurements shall be spelled in accordance with SI units.
1.5 Specific rules for abbreviations[1]
· The abbreviation and uppercase shall always be used for:
o RWY, TWY, THR, AWY, ATS, ARP and the different air traffic services types (e.g. AIS, FIS, AFIS, TWR, ACC, APP).
o Area types CTA, UTA, TMA, CTR, FIR and UIR.
o Days and months (MON, TUE, WED, THU, FRI, SAT, SUN, JAN, FEB, MAR, APR, MAY, JUN, JUL, AUG, SEP, OCT, NOV, DEC).
· Abbreviations that shall be spelled out:
o Single words such as “closed”, “unavailable”, “activated”, “between” with the exception of “AD”.
o Colours.
o Cardinal points and their combination.[PE4]
o Abbreviations/acronyms that are not commonly used, not included in ICAO Doc 8400 [Ref.6] 8400 and/or may be subject to misunderstanding (e.g. use ‘area chart’ instead of “ARC”).
1.6 Digital NOTAM text examples with these applied rules:
· ILS/DME RWY 19 unserviceable.
· RWY 01 closed.
· Temporary Reserved Airspace ESTS310 activated.
· THR RWY 19 displaced 400m. Declared distances changed: TORA 2450m, TODA 2450m, ASDA 2450m, LDA 2050m.
· Trigger NOTAM – perm AIRAC amendment 02/14 WEF 20 FEB 2014: new ATS route M123 established.
· VOR DKB resumed normal operations.
· Danger Area HED9 activated.
· ATS operating hours changed as follows: 01 03 05 1000-1600 02 04 06-31 0800-2200.
· EGNOS is not available for LPV.
· AWY G5 closed between WIL and FRI.
· RNAV route N850 closed between GERSA and ODINA.
· Temporary Restricted Area Narnia established.
· Temporary restricted area Narnia established.
· Crane position 500545N 0141556E erected 190m south of RWY 13/31 axis, 1300m behind THR RWY 31, elevation 390.3m height 20.7m AGL.
· ILS RWY 25R unserviceable.
· TWY A east of RWY 10/28 closed.
· Minimum Sector Altitude southwest sector raised to 1700ft AMSL.
Discussion in the Focus Group:
- Doubts about ATC, they might not like the change from Upper case to sentence case. Therefore a warning could be added in the specification that the presentation of the NOTAM text to specific groups of users should be verified first. For pilots there is no doubt, they prefer sentence case (see ePIB). For users that prefer upper case only, the conversion in straight-forward.
OTHER Aspects
- NOTAM reason for closure or similar, are they really necessary in a NOTAM?
- Use of NOTAM for NIL digital data set notifications
o Does it make sense to use NOTAM in order to correct a data set? The information could be used by technical / operational support, not by the end user (pilot). However, that should not appear in the briefing package, because the change will be done by the
Reference documents
[
...
[1] Some of the listed abbreviations are in fact acronyms, e.g. “ACC”, but are included as in this case part of the family of air traffic services types.
[PE1]The rules should be added in the General document part, so that they are available for operators who write annotations.
[PE2]This is not possible with AIXM 5.1 because all names are just Upper Case. To be raised as an issue in the AIXM CCB, to allow lower case.
Maybe on the same issue discuss the problem of local language – using annotation type “Translation”
Transitory solution: give an algorithm for converting Character3 data type into lower case. Test it on EAD data with XSLT -> Michal K will take the action.
[PE3]This rule means that acft is written like this, if not spelled out, which does not improve readability.
[PE4]Except for when used in lat/long values (according to OPADD)
...