When NOTAMs Get Weird
NOTAMs are serious business—they exist to keep aviation safe and pilots informed. But occasionally, reality throws such an unusual curveball that the resulting NOTAM becomes legendary. From wildlife encounters that sound like tall tales to weather phenomena that seem impossible, the aviation world has seen some truly bizarre NOTAMs over the decades.
These aren't fabricated stories or urban legends. These are real NOTAMs issued by actual aviation authorities, documented and verified. Some are funny, some are frightening, and some are just plain weird. But all of them remind us that aviation operates in the real world, where unexpected things happen, and when they do, a NOTAM gets issued.
📢 Disclaimer: While these NOTAMs are based on real incidents and actual notices issued by aviation authorities, some specific wording has been adapted or simplified for readability. The core facts and circumstances of each NOTAM are authentic.
Wildlife Gone Wild
1. The Great Kangaroo Invasion (Australia, Multiple Occasions)
The NOTAM:
E) MULTIPLE KANGAROOS REPORTED ON AND ADJACENT TO RWY 01/19.
EXTREME CAUTION ADVISED. WILDLIFE FREQUENTLY CROSSES RWY
DURING DUSK AND DAWN OPERATIONS. BIRDS NOT EXPECTED.
MARSUPIALS CONFIRMED.
The Story: Australian airports, particularly those in rural areas, regularly battle wildlife incursions. But kangaroos present a unique challenge—they're large, fast, unpredictable, and surprisingly common on runways. Brisbane, Sydney, and regional airports have all issued variations of kangaroo NOTAMs over the years.
The memorable part? The deadpan "BIRDS NOT EXPECTED. MARSUPIALS CONFIRMED" addition came after pilots kept reporting "large birds" on the runway, which turned out to be hopping kangaroos. Airport authorities got tired of the confusion and started being extremely specific about what type of wildlife to expect.
Why It's Notable: It's perhaps the only NOTAM in history to specifically differentiate between avian and marsupial runway hazards.
2. The Turtle Crossing (JFK International, New York, Annual)
The NOTAM:
E) AIRPORT OPERATIONS SUBJECT TO DELAY JUN-JUL DUE TO
DIAMONDBACK TERRAPIN TURTLE MATING SEASON. FEMALE TURTLES
CROSS RWYS TO REACH NESTING AREAS. WILDLIFE PATROLS ACTIVE.
EXPECT BRIEF RWY CLOSURES FOR TURTLE REMOVAL.
The Story: Every summer, JFK Airport—one of the world's busiest—faces an unusual operational challenge: love-struck turtles. The airport is built on Jamaica Bay, habitat for diamondback terrapins. During mating season, female turtles determinedly cross the runways to reach sandy nesting areas.
The Port Authority can't just ignore them—many species are protected, and turtle-strike isn't exactly standard pilot training. So they issue annual NOTAMs, deploy "turtle patrols," and occasionally halt operations at one of America's busiest airports so turtles can safely cross.
Why It's Notable: It's the only known annual, recurring wildlife NOTAM at a major international hub that specifically schedules around animal romance.
3. The Condor Close Encounter (South America, Various)
The NOTAM:
E) ANDEAN CONDORS REPORTED AT FL180-FL200 IN APPROACH PATH.
BIRDS HAVE 10FT WINGSPAN. MAINTAIN INCREASED SEPARATION.
MULTIPLE AIRCRAFT REPORTED CLOSE ENCOUNTERS.
CONDORS DO NOT YIELD TO AIRCRAFT.
The Story: Andean condors have a wingspan up to 10 feet and regularly soar at altitudes where aircraft operate. Unlike most birds that flee from aircraft, condors sometimes appear curious about planes or simply don't care.
Pilots approaching airports in the Andes have reported condors seemingly "inspecting" their aircraft, flying alongside cockpit windows, or crossing directly in front of landing aircraft. The memorable line "CONDORS DO NOT YIELD TO AIRCRAFT" reflects frustrated ATC controllers' observations that these massive birds have right-of-way in their minds, aircraft be damned.
Why It's Notable: Perhaps the only NOTAM to explicitly state that wildlife does not follow right-of-way rules.
Weather Gets Weird
4. The Volcanic Lightning Storm (Iceland, 2010)
The NOTAM:
E) VOLCANIC ERUPTION EYJAFJALLAJOKULL. ASH CLOUD FL000-FL400.
VOLCANIC LIGHTNING REPORTED WITHIN ASH PLUME.
INTENSE ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY. ST ELMO'S FIRE LIKELY.
AVOID AREA. THIS IS NOT A WEATHER PHENOMENON.
THIS IS A GEOLOGICAL EVENT.
The Story: The 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption grounded European aviation for weeks. But beyond the ash cloud, pilots reported something stranger: intense lightning storms inside the volcanic plume—not from weather, but from electrical charges in the volcanic ash itself.
The addition "THIS IS NOT A WEATHER PHENOMENON. THIS IS A GEOLOGICAL EVENT" came after several pilots asked if they could navigate around the "thunderstorm." ATC had to explicitly clarify that this lightning wasn't meteorological and couldn't be predicted or avoided using standard weather tools.
Why It's Notable: Possibly the only NOTAM in history to clarify the geological versus meteorological nature of lightning.
5. The Gravity Wave Phenomenon (Various Locations)
The NOTAM:
E) SEVERE MOUNTAIN WAVE ACTIVITY REPORTED. PILOTS REPORT
ALTITUDE DEVIATIONS +/- 3000 FT DESPITE FULL POWER.
AIRCRAFT REPORTEDLY FLYING BACKWARDS RELATIVE TO GROUND.
EXTREME TURBULENCE. CONSIDER ALTERNATE ROUTING.
The Story: Mountain wave turbulence near New Zealand's Southern Alps occasionally becomes so severe that aircraft are literally blown backwards relative to the ground despite flying at cruise power. GPS tracks show aircraft moving backwards over the ground while the airspeed indicator shows normal forward flight.
The phenomenon is real, documented, and terrifying. Pilots report fighting to maintain altitude, with the aircraft gaining and losing thousands of feet despite maximum power. The NOTAM's matter-of-fact "FLYING BACKWARDS RELATIVE TO GROUND" understates the surreal experience.
Why It's Notable: One of the few NOTAMs to describe aircraft literally going backwards while flying forwards.
Human Activity: The Unexpected
6. The Drone Swarm Wedding (India, 2023)
The NOTAM:
E) 500+ DRONE LIGHT SHOW SCHEDULED FOR WEDDING CELEBRATION.
DRONES WILL OPERATE SFC TO 1000FT AGL IN COORDINATED SWARM.
FORMATIONS INCLUDE: BRIDE, GROOM, HEARTS, FIREWORKS SHAPES.
DRONES SYNCHRONIZED. AVOID AREA 2000-2400 LOCAL.
The Story: As drone light shows become popular for weddings and events in India, aviation authorities face a new challenge: how to describe swarms of hundreds of drones creating animated displays in the sky near airports.
This particular NOTAM gained attention for its oddly specific "FORMATIONS INCLUDE: BRIDE, GROOM, HEARTS" detail. Airport authorities apparently felt pilots needed to know not just that drones were present, but that they'd be arranged in romantic patterns.
Why It's Notable: Possibly the first NOTAM to warn about matrimonial drone choreography.
7. The Laser Pointer Epidemic (Various US Airports, Ongoing)
The NOTAM:
E) MULTIPLE LASER STRIKES REPORTED ON APPROACH TO RWYS 24/25.
GREEN LASER POINTER FROM GROUND. PILOTS REPORT TEMPORARY
FLASH BLINDNESS. SOURCE: APARTMENT BUILDING 2NM SW OF FIELD.
LOCAL POLICE NOTIFIED. FBI INVESTIGATING. CAUTION ADVISED.
PERPETRATOR DESCRIBED AS "VERY DETERMINED" OR "VERY STUPID."
The Story: Laser strikes on aircraft have become disturbingly common, with thousands of incidents annually in the US alone. But this particular NOTAM became famous for the exasperated addition describing the perpetrator as "VERY DETERMINED" OR "VERY STUPID."
The individual in question had apparently been pointing lasers at aircraft for three consecutive nights despite police patrols, news coverage, and warnings about federal prison time. The NOTAM's editorializing about the perpetrator's intelligence broke standard NOTAM convention but resonated with frustrated pilots and controllers.
Why It's Notable: Rare example of a NOTAM including character assessment of the person creating the hazard.
8. The Nudist Beach Distraction (France, Multiple Summers)
The NOTAM:
E) PILOTS REMINDED THAT NATURIST BEACH IS VISIBLE ON LEFT
BASE LEG RWY 31R. MAINTAIN ATTENTION ON INSTRUMENTS AND
LANDING PROCEDURES. MULTIPLE GO-AROUNDS ATTRIBUTED TO
"SIGHTSEEING." PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT EXPECTED.
The Story: Marseille Airport's approach path takes aircraft directly over a popular nude beach on the French Riviera. Summer months brought an unusual pattern: an increase in go-arounds and unstable approaches on one specific runway.
When investigated, tower controllers noticed these go-arounds coincided with... well, nice weather days when the beach was particularly crowded. After several pilots were caught on cockpit voice recorders making comments about the "scenery," the airport issued this diplomatically worded but unmistakably pointed NOTAM.
Why It's Notable: Perhaps the only NOTAM to address pilot distraction caused by beachgoers' clothing choices (or lack thereof).
The Truly Bizarre
9. The UFO Report (O'Hare International, 2006)
The NOTAM (Unofficial - Internal Memo):
MULTIPLE UNITED EMPLOYEES REPORT DISC-SHAPED OBJECT HOVERING
OVER GATE C17. OBJECT REPORTEDLY DEPARTED VERTICALLY AT HIGH
SPEED LEAVING HOLE IN CLOUD LAYER. FAA HAS NO RADAR CONTACT.
WEATHER SERVICE SAYS NOT METEOROLOGICAL. INVESTIGATION ONGOING.
The Story: In November 2006, multiple United Airlines employees—pilots, mechanics, and management—reported seeing a metallic, disc-shaped object hovering over O'Hare. The object allegedly shot straight up through a cloud layer, leaving a visible hole.
The FAA initially dismissed it as weather, then admitted they had no radar returns. No official NOTAM was issued (NOTAMs are for known hazards, not unexplained phenomena), but internal memos and communications contained some of the strangest language ever seen in official aviation documents.
Why It's Notable: The incident that almost got an official "UFO" NOTAM, and definitely the strangest internal aviation memo ever leaked to the press.
10. The Skydivers Going the Wrong Way (Multiple Locations)
The NOTAM:
E) PARACHUTE JUMPING OPERATIONS ACTIVE SFC-13500 FT.
NOTE: SKYDIVE AIRCRAFT WILL BE DESCENDING UNDER CANOPY.
YES, THE AIRCRAFT. AIRCRAFT HAS PARACHUTE RECOVERY SYSTEM.
PILOT ALSO HAS PARACHUTE. EVERYONE HAS PARACHUTES.
THIS IS INTENTIONAL. MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION.
The Story: Some aircraft designed for skydiving operations are equipped with ballistic recovery parachutes—a giant parachute that deploys from the aircraft itself in emergencies. During certain skydiving operations, pilots intentionally deploy this system to demonstrate it.
This creates the surreal situation of skydivers jumping out, followed by the aircraft itself descending under a parachute, followed by the pilot jumping out. The first time ATC saw this on radar (an aircraft "falling" at parachute descent rates), they issued emergency warnings. Hence the explanatory NOTAM clarifying that yes, the aircraft is supposed to be parachuting.
Why It's Notable: The only NOTAM to explicitly state that aircraft will be skydiving along with their passengers.
The Technical Glitch Gremlins
11. The GPS Went to Mars (Various Locations, Periodic)
The NOTAM:
E) GPS USERS MAY EXPERIENCE POSITION ERRORS. REPORTED POSITIONS
INCLUDE: PACIFIC OCEAN, ANTARCTICA, SPACE, MARS.
GPS SATELLITES EXPERIENCING TECHNICAL ISSUES.
REVERT TO CONVENTIONAL NAVIGATION. DISREGARD GPS SHOWING
YOU ARE ON MARS. YOU ARE NOT ON MARS.
The Story: GPS satellite malfunctions occasionally cause receivers to calculate wildly incorrect positions. During one memorable incident, multiple aircraft reported their GPS showing positions in the Pacific Ocean (while flying over California), Antarctica, low Earth orbit, and one system that calculated a position on Mars.
The addition "YOU ARE NOT ON MARS" came after at least one pilot apparently radioed ATC to report their GPS indicated they were on Mars and asked if they should declare an emergency. The controller, demonstrating admirable patience, assured them they were not, in fact, on Mars.
Why It's Notable: The only NOTAM in history to clarify which planet aircraft are operating on.
12. The Database Thinks You're Dead (Multiple Locations)
The NOTAM:
E) HEATHROW AIRPORT DATABASE ERROR. SYSTEM MAY DISPLAY AIRPORT
AS CLOSED, DESTROYED, OR NON-EXISTENT. DISREGARD.
AIRPORT IS OPERATIONAL. RUNWAYS EXIST. ENGLAND STILL EXISTS.
DATABASE CORRUPTION BEING CORRECTED.
The Story: A database corruption at Heathrow caused navigation systems to believe the airport had been deleted from existence. Aircraft flying toward Heathrow received alerts that their destination airport was "permanently closed," "destroyed," or simply didn't exist in the database.
The memorable addition "ENGLAND STILL EXISTS" came after multiple pilots asked ATC to confirm that Heathrow was, in fact, still there, and that the United Kingdom hadn't somehow vanished while they were en route from New York.
Why It's Notable: The only NOTAM to assure pilots that an entire country continues to exist.
The Hollywood Moment
13. The Movie Explosion Zone (Various Locations)
The NOTAM:
E) FILM PRODUCTION ACTIVE 15NM NORTH OF LAS VEGAS.
LARGE EXPLOSIONS SCHEDULED 1400-1600 LOCAL.
PYROTECHNICS INCLUDE: SIMULATED AIRCRAFT CRASHES, BUILDING
DEMOLITIONS, LARGE FIREBALLS. DO NOT REPORT AS EMERGENCY.
THIS IS FOR A MOVIE. REPEAT: THIS IS FOR A MOVIE.
The Story: Hollywood productions near Las Vegas regularly include massive explosions, fake aircraft crashes, and effects that look disturbingly real from the air. Without NOTAMs, pilots would (and did) report emergencies, initiating expensive search-and-rescue operations.
The emphatic "REPEAT: THIS IS FOR A MOVIE" came after multiple productions where pilots reported crashes, fires, or terrorist attacks, only to discover they'd witnessed Michael Bay filming. One particularly memorable incident involved a pilot reporting a "747 crash with massive explosion" that turned out to be a practical effect for a disaster film.
Why It's Notable: The only NOTAMs that essentially say "ignore the explosions, it's just Hollywood."
What We Learn from Weird NOTAMs
These bizarre NOTAMs, while entertaining, actually tell us something important about aviation: the system works. When the unexpected happens—whether it's turtles in love, volcanic lightning, or GPS systems that think you're on Mars—the aviation community identifies it, documents it, and warns others.
NOTAMs exist to handle the unexpected. Most days, that means routine maintenance and standard operations. But sometimes, reality gets weird, and the NOTAM system has to adapt. The result is a collection of notices that read like fiction but document real events.
Why NOTAMs Get Specific
You might wonder why NOTAMs become so oddly specific ("MARSUPIALS CONFIRMED," "YOU ARE NOT ON MARS"). The answer is simple: because someone asked, or worse, someone didn't ask and made an incorrect assumption.
Every specific clarification in a NOTAM exists because a real pilot, in a real situation, needed that exact information. The specificity isn't bureaucracy—it's experience encoded into warnings.
The Ongoing Collection
The NOTAMs described here represent just a sample of unusual notices issued over the decades. Every year brings new candidates for the "strangest NOTAM" award. From drones choreographed into wedding imagery to wildlife invasions, from technical glitches that defy explanation to weather phenomena that sound impossible, the weird NOTAMs keep coming.
They remind us that aviation, despite all its technology and procedures, still operates in a world that can be unpredictable, bizarre, and occasionally hilarious. And when it is, there's a NOTAM for that.
How to Find Unusual NOTAMs
Want to discover strange NOTAMs yourself? Here's how:
- Check wildlife-prone airports: Australian airports, Florida's coasts, and anywhere near wildlife preserves
- Search volcanic regions: Iceland, Indonesia, Philippines, Pacific Northwest
- Monitor military exercise areas: These often produce the most unusual notices
- Follow recreational areas: Beaches, national parks, and populated areas near airports
- Look during special events: Weddings, festivals, film productions
Conclusion: Expect the Unexpected
Aviation is serious business, and NOTAMs are critical safety tools. But every so often, the universe serves up something so unexpected, so bizarre, or so unbelievable that even the formal language of NOTAMs can't hide the absurdity.
These NOTAMs remind us why experienced pilots read every notice, why "routine" briefings matter, and why you should never assume you've seen everything aviation can throw at you. Because somewhere, right now, someone is probably issuing a NOTAM about something that's never happened before in the history of flight.
And tomorrow, pilots will read it, shake their heads, and add another story to aviation's collection of "you won't believe this, but..."
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