Narrative:

FAA NOTAMS are not timely. The pilot's group has become the preferred source of information. However, the pilot's has no legal authority to make or interpret law. Therefore, ambiguity results. On 9/thu/01, I flew VFR third class medical/student between two airports on business believing it to have been allowed. On 9/thu/01, I checked the pilot's group web site and followed the link to the NOTAMS. After reading the relevant sections several times over several hours, I called the dayton FSS and asked a briefer what a 'VFR training flight' was. I then asked if I could fly solo from one airport to another on my third class medical and student pilot certificate. She said I could. So I did. I flew from marysville, oh (I78), to london, oh (uyf). I remained on the ground for 35 mins and then flew the return. My track allowing for wind correction angle to uyf was 205 degrees, direct, at an altitude of 2500 ft MSL. My return trip was on 15 and 25 degrees at an altitude of 3500 ft MSL. Both trips were about 25 mins in duration. The FAA web site lags behind the news by several days. Even 24 hours after all GA was grounded, the FAA web site premiered a puffy press release from the administrator about how nice everything is. I get my federal aviation news from the pilot's. Even so, it is not clear that these pilot's announcements are actually true copies of the law. In particular, on 9/fri/01, pilot group president 'interpreted' a recent NOTAM to mean that student solo flts are not permitted as of that moment. However, the relevant NOTAM cited and linked said nothing of the sort. I realize that this is a crisis situation. That is all the more reason for the FAA to be the primary source of reliable aviation information, especially of the NOTAMS that it issues.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C150 PLT QUESTIONS THE CLARITY AND TIMELINESS OF THE FAA NOTAMS SYSTEM.

Narrative: FAA NOTAMS ARE NOT TIMELY. THE PLT'S GROUP HAS BECOME THE PREFERRED SOURCE OF INFORMATION. HOWEVER, THE PLT'S HAS NO LEGAL AUTHORITY TO MAKE OR INTERPRET LAW. THEREFORE, AMBIGUITY RESULTS. ON 9/THU/01, I FLEW VFR THIRD CLASS MEDICAL/STUDENT BETWEEN TWO ARPTS ON BUSINESS BELIEVING IT TO HAVE BEEN ALLOWED. ON 9/THU/01, I CHKED THE PLT'S GROUP WEB SITE AND FOLLOWED THE LINK TO THE NOTAMS. AFTER READING THE RELEVANT SECTIONS SEVERAL TIMES OVER SEVERAL HOURS, I CALLED THE DAYTON FSS AND ASKED A BRIEFER WHAT A 'VFR TRAINING FLT' WAS. I THEN ASKED IF I COULD FLY SOLO FROM ONE ARPT TO ANOTHER ON MY THIRD CLASS MEDICAL AND STUDENT PLT CERTIFICATE. SHE SAID I COULD. SO I DID. I FLEW FROM MARYSVILLE, OH (I78), TO LONDON, OH (UYF). I REMAINED ON THE GND FOR 35 MINS AND THEN FLEW THE RETURN. MY TRACK ALLOWING FOR WIND CORRECTION ANGLE TO UYF WAS 205 DEGS, DIRECT, AT AN ALTITUDE OF 2500 FT MSL. MY RETURN TRIP WAS ON 15 AND 25 DEGS AT AN ALTITUDE OF 3500 FT MSL. BOTH TRIPS WERE ABOUT 25 MINS IN DURATION. THE FAA WEB SITE LAGS BEHIND THE NEWS BY SEVERAL DAYS. EVEN 24 HRS AFTER ALL GA WAS GNDED, THE FAA WEB SITE PREMIERED A PUFFY PRESS RELEASE FROM THE ADMINISTRATOR ABOUT HOW NICE EVERYTHING IS. I GET MY FEDERAL AVIATION NEWS FROM THE PLT'S. EVEN SO, IT IS NOT CLEAR THAT THESE PLT'S ANNOUNCEMENTS ARE ACTUALLY TRUE COPIES OF THE LAW. IN PARTICULAR, ON 9/FRI/01, PLT GROUP PRESIDENT 'INTERPRETED' A RECENT NOTAM TO MEAN THAT STUDENT SOLO FLTS ARE NOT PERMITTED AS OF THAT MOMENT. HOWEVER, THE RELEVANT NOTAM CITED AND LINKED SAID NOTHING OF THE SORT. I REALIZE THAT THIS IS A CRISIS SIT. THAT IS ALL THE MORE REASON FOR THE FAA TO BE THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF RELIABLE AVIATION INFO, ESPECIALLY OF THE NOTAMS THAT IT ISSUES.

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.