Part 107 NOTAMs and TFRs
By Part 107 HQ · Updated
A current sectional chart is only part of a Part 107 airspace check. NOTAMs provide time-critical information that may not appear on that chart; a temporary flight restriction (TFR) can affect the same location for a specified period. The remote pilot must assess local airspace and flight restrictions before flight (14 CFR 107.49(a)(2); AIM 5-1-3a).
Use this lesson to read a notice’s location, time, altitude and operating conditions, then try the three self-checks. All scenarios below are invented teaching examples, not active notices or FAA test questions.
What must Part 107 pilots check in a NOTAM or TFR?
Before each flight, check whether a notice affects where, when and how high you plan to fly, then read which operations are permitted or prohibited. AC 107-2A specifically tells remote pilots to check NOTAMs before each flight, including at a familiar site (AC 107-2A, para. 5.10.3).
For a TFR, compare your proposed flight with the notice’s geographic boundary, effective dates and times, vertical limits, and exceptions or permission requirements. The AIM describes these elements in a TFR notice; restrictions differ with their legal basis and stated conditions (AIM 3-5-3a, h–i).
Search beyond the nearest airport identifier. Some notices concern the wider Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) area rather than an individual airport, including TFRs, special use airspace and GPS activity (AIM 5-1-3c). A current chart still needs these between-edition updates (FAA Chart Users’ Guide, p. 6).
How do airport NOTAMs differ from temporary flight restrictions?
An airport NOTAM may report a closure, lighting outage or other changed condition; a TFR restricts entry into specified airspace during its effective period. A notice about an airport is not automatically a prohibition on every nearby drone flight. Read what the notice actually changes (AIM 5-1-3b, g).
| Information in a notice | What a remote pilot needs to establish |
|---|---|
| Runway closure, construction or lighting outage | Which facility or service is affected, when, and how that changes the operating environment |
| New obstruction or GPS disruption | Whether the hazard or service limitation affects the planned location and operation |
| TFR | Whether the flight enters its geographic and vertical limits while it is effective, and whether its terms permit the operation |
Domestic NOTAMs can cover airport facilities and airspace activity. Flight Data Center (FDC) NOTAMs disseminate regulatory information, including TFRs and other changes; not every FDC NOTAM is a TFR (AIM 5-1-3g1–2). Near an airport, the separate duty not to interfere with operations and traffic patterns still applies (14 CFR 107.43).
How do you read a TFR’s area, UTC times and altitude limits?
Read a TFR as a three-dimensional area with an effective period: locate the boundary, match the date and time, and compare altitudes using the stated reference. FAA time uses Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), also called Zulu; account for the local offset and a possible date change (AIM 4-2-12).
The following is a hypothetical restriction summary, not a NOTAM. Its numbers and conditions are assumptions for the lesson:
| Field | Invented restriction | Proposed drone flight |
|---|---|---|
| Area | Within 2 nautical miles of an imaginary point A | 1 nautical mile from point A |
| Effective period | October 20, 2026, 2000–2200 UTC | October 20 at 1630 local, where the offset that day is UTC−4 |
| Vertical limits | Surface up to and including 1,500 feet MSL | 250 feet AGL over ground at 600 feet MSL |
| Allowed operations | Nonparticipating aircraft prohibited; assume the pilot meets no exception | An ordinary commercial inspection |
The flight is inside the assumed area. The local time converts to 2030 UTC on October 20. Its altitude converts to 600 + 250 = 850 feet MSL, inside the assumed vertical limits. Under these stated conditions, the restriction prohibits the proposed flight. The example applies the area, period, altitude and exception checks described in AIM 3-5-3i.
Keep the reference attached to every altitude. A height of 250 feet AGL is not 250 feet MSL; use ground elevation directly beneath the aircraft when converting (AIM Pilot/Controller Glossary, “Altitude”). A real notice may use different limits or conditions, so retain its wording rather than assuming all TFRs start at the surface or have the same ceiling. Review the AGL/MSL formulas and chart examples if the two references are unfamiliar.
Does LAANC authorization allow a drone flight inside a TFR?
LAANC airspace authorization does not by itself permit entry into a TFR. Authorization under § 107.41 and compliance with flight restrictions under § 107.47 are separate requirements; read the particular restriction and meet any applicable permission or exception conditions (14 CFR 107.41; 14 CFR 107.47).
Some TFRs allow specified operations under stated conditions, while others impose different restrictions. Do not turn an exception for a particular kind of operation into general permission for a drone inspection (AIM 3-5-3a, h–i).
The FAA also states that, when it receives an airspace authorization request, it does not verify that the operation is outside § 99.7 security TFRs; that check remains the operator’s responsibility (FAA UAS FAQ, airspace authorization and § 99.7 restrictions). For the underlying airspace decision, see Part 107 airspace classes and authorization.
Does Class G airspace mean a drone flight has no restrictions?
Class G does not mean unrestricted flight. The prior ATC authorization requirement in § 107.41 names Class B, C, D and airport-designated Class E surface areas; other rules still apply in Class G. A remote pilot must comply with the flight restrictions named in § 107.47 and obtain the appropriate agency’s permission to operate in a prohibited or restricted area under § 107.45 (14 CFR 107.41; 107.45; 107.47).
Also distinguish a TFR from permanent special use airspace. Permanent restricted areas are charted; the chart’s airspace information includes hours, altitudes and the controlling agency. Finding no new NOTAM does not cancel a restriction during its published times of use (AIM 3-4-1e and 3-4-3; FAA Chart Users’ Guide, p. 20). Check the designation and conditions rather than treating every kind of special use airspace as the same restriction.
Where can Part 107 pilots check current NOTAMs and TFRs?
Use the FAA’s NOTAM Search for notices and its graphical TFR site for TFR information, then read the applicable notice’s full text and conditions. These are information sources for a flight assessment, not a blanket authorization to fly (AIM 5-1-3a; AC 107-2A, para. 2.3.2 and Appendix B.3–B.3.1).
- FAA NOTAM Search: review notices for the planned location and relevant surrounding airspace, not just the closest airport identifier.
- FAA graphical TFR site: find TFR information and open the notice for its boundaries, times, altitudes and terms.
- Flight Service online: AC 107-2A directs remote pilots to this website for briefing resources and TFR checks.
- FAA airspace restrictions overview: follow the relevant category for restrictions near airports, special use airspace, Washington, DC, and stadiums or sporting events.
These entry points were checked in October 2026. The examples on this study page do not describe today’s restrictions at any real site. A flight assessment also includes weather, people, ground hazards and the other preflight actions in 14 CFR 107.49.
Free NOTAM and TFR practice with worked answers
Try these three original scenarios, then open each answer to compare the reasoning. The dates, locations and restrictions are hypothetical; apply only the conditions supplied.
A restriction is effective November 15 from 0100 to 0300 UTC. At a location using UTC−5, a pilot plans to fly at 2115 local on November 14. Is that within the restriction's time window?
Yes. Add five hours: November 14 at 2115 local becomes November 15 at 0215 UTC, within 0100–0300 UTC. The calendar date changes as well as the clock time. This answers the time question only; the flight’s position, altitude and the restriction’s terms still need checking. See AIM 4-2-12.
A restricted area's published schedule is Monday–Friday, 0900–1600 local. A pilot wants to enter its stated area and altitude band on Tuesday at 1100 and finds no new NOTAM. Does the absence of a NOTAM establish permission?
No. The planned time is within the assumed published schedule. Finding no new NOTAM does not cancel those hours or supply the using or controlling agency’s permission. Permanent special use airspace has charted operating information; Part 107 requires appropriate permission for a prohibited or restricted area (AIM 3-4-1e and 3-4-3; FAA Chart Users’ Guide, p. 20; 14 CFR 107.45).
A pilot has LAANC authorization for 200 feet AGL in Class D. A separate TFR covers the flight's location, time and altitude and prohibits nonparticipating aircraft. Assume the inspection meets no stated exception. Can the pilot rely on LAANC and launch?
No. The airspace authorization addresses § 107.41; it does not remove the separate restriction. Under the supplied conditions, the inspection is prohibited. The pilot must comply with the applicable TFR terms as well as the airspace authorization (14 CFR 107.41; 107.47; AIM 3-5-3a, h–i).
Continue with the free questions on checking beyond the airport identifier, requesting additional briefing notices, published restriction schedules and why a new TFR is not on the sectional. Then use airspace practice to rehearse the broader classification and authorization decisions.