Narrative:

The situation involves classification of notices to airmen (NOTAM's). We've had 2 sits occur in the last couple months (june and july) in the nashville, tn area and oak ridge, tn near knoxville, tn. They involve tethered balloons being set up to monitor the ozone and other atmospheric conditions. The national flight data center (nfdc) in washington does not allow the tethered balloons to be issued as a NOTAM D to receive nationwide distribution. They say it must be issued as a NOTAM left and receive local distribution only. I feel that balloons tethered 2000- 3000 ft AGL (in the nashville area) and tethered up to 6500 ft AGL (in the oak ridge area) constitute a hazard to aviation and should receive wider distribution than NOTAM left's allow. Tower obstruction light outages above 500 ft AGL are distributed as a NOTAM D. I think tethered balloons constitute as much a hazard as a radio tower. On a hazy summer day, it would be difficult, if not impossible to see the tethering on a balloon. With pilots receiving briefings from other areas and flying into this area, and pilots being briefed by duats, I feel the NOTAM classification for tethered balloons should be revised. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the NOTAM was first issued as a class D NOTAM. National flight data center informed facility to comply with NOTAM handbook 7930.2E and downgrade the NOTAM to a class left NOTAM.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NOTAM DISTRIBUTION. TETHERED BALLOONS HAZARD TO ACFT INFLT.

Narrative: THE SIT INVOLVES CLASSIFICATION OF NOTICES TO AIRMEN (NOTAM'S). WE'VE HAD 2 SITS OCCUR IN THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS (JUNE AND JULY) IN THE NASHVILLE, TN AREA AND OAK RIDGE, TN NEAR KNOXVILLE, TN. THEY INVOLVE TETHERED BALLOONS BEING SET UP TO MONITOR THE OZONE AND OTHER ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS. THE NATIONAL FLT DATA CTR (NFDC) IN WASHINGTON DOES NOT ALLOW THE TETHERED BALLOONS TO BE ISSUED AS A NOTAM D TO RECEIVE NATIONWIDE DISTRIBUTION. THEY SAY IT MUST BE ISSUED AS A NOTAM L AND RECEIVE LCL DISTRIBUTION ONLY. I FEEL THAT BALLOONS TETHERED 2000- 3000 FT AGL (IN THE NASHVILLE AREA) AND TETHERED UP TO 6500 FT AGL (IN THE OAK RIDGE AREA) CONSTITUTE A HAZARD TO AVIATION AND SHOULD RECEIVE WIDER DISTRIBUTION THAN NOTAM L'S ALLOW. TWR OBSTRUCTION LIGHT OUTAGES ABOVE 500 FT AGL ARE DISTRIBUTED AS A NOTAM D. I THINK TETHERED BALLOONS CONSTITUTE AS MUCH A HAZARD AS A RADIO TWR. ON A HAZY SUMMER DAY, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE TETHERING ON A BALLOON. WITH PLTS RECEIVING BRIEFINGS FROM OTHER AREAS AND FLYING INTO THIS AREA, AND PLTS BEING BRIEFED BY DUATS, I FEEL THE NOTAM CLASSIFICATION FOR TETHERED BALLOONS SHOULD BE REVISED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE NOTAM WAS FIRST ISSUED AS A CLASS D NOTAM. NATIONAL FLT DATA CTR INFORMED FACILITY TO COMPLY WITH NOTAM HANDBOOK 7930.2E AND DOWNGRADE THE NOTAM TO A CLASS L NOTAM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.