Answers to common questions about how FlightChecked presents weather, NOTAMs, alternates, and alerts.
AI & Analysis
Does FlightChecked use AI to read NOTAMs?
Yes. Every NOTAM we ingest is read by an AI model, which extracts what is affected — runway, taxiway, stand, navaid, approach, obstacle or airspace — along with its status, the aircraft restricted by it, its position on the map, and a one-line plain-English summary. The full workflow is described on the AI NOTAM Analysis page.
Does the AI ever change the times or the wording of a NOTAM?
No. Validity dates and reference codes are extracted by fixed rules directly from the published message and always take precedence over the model. Recurring schedules such as DLY 0600-1900 are expanded by our own code rather than by the AI, so the times you see are the times as published.
Can the AI get it wrong, and what happens if it does?
It can, which is why the analysis is advisory and never replaces the official NOTAM. Each NOTAM is graded on how difficult it was to interpret, and items involving local time, sunrise-to-sunset windows or holiday exceptions are flagged for review rather than quietly resolved. If you spot an analysis that looks wrong, please tell us at support@daelead.co.
Can I still see the original NOTAM?
Always. The raw published text is retained alongside every analysis and is one tap away from the decoded view. The decoded version is there to save you time, not to stand in for the source.
Is my flight data sent to the AI?
No. Only the published NOTAM text is sent for analysis. Your route, your aircraft and your identity are never included. Prioritisation for your specific flight is calculated separately, by our own scoring code.
Weather
How is the colour determined for different weather conditions?
Colour is derived from ceiling, visibility, and any significant weather phenomena. The threshold values used for this classification are fully adjustable in Settings.
Does the colour represent the weather at STD / STA and the ETA of each enroute alternate (ERA)?
The displayed colour reflects the worst weather condition observed within a ±2-hour window around the relevant reference time (STD, STA, or the ERA ETA).
NOTAMs
How often is NOTAM data updated?
Our system scans for new NOTAMs every 15 minutes for all supported airports and FIRs. The timestamp of the most recent ingestion is shown in the top-left corner of each NOTAM viewer.
How are NOTAMs colour-coded?
Each NOTAM is graded by an internal scoring system that adjusts automatically based on your aircraft type, prevailing weather conditions, and other operational factors. The score itself is computed by FlightChecked and is not user-adjustable.
Why can I not see every NOTAM for an airport?
By default, only NOTAMs effective within a ±2-hour window of the selected reference time are presented. On the airport page you can use the timeline control to choose a different target time.
How are FIR NOTAMs filtered?
FIR NOTAMs are filtered to those relevant to your specific routing. The filter takes into account the airspace volumes your route traverses, the planned vertical profile, and the time at which your flight is inside each FIR. As with airport NOTAMs, only items effective within ±2 hours of the relevant crossing time are shown.
Flight Planning
How are suggested enroute alternates (ERAs) selected?
Recommended ERAs are selected based on proximity to your filed route and minimum runway length requirements. Airports with longer runways are eligible at greater off-track distances, while smaller fields with shorter runways are filtered out. When you remove or add airports manually, your preferences are recorded and future suggestions are adjusted accordingly.
How is the ETA of each enroute alternate calculated?
ETAs are computed by interpolating a constant ground speed along your route between STD and STA, with the taxi time subtracted. Taxi time is adjustable in Settings.
Can I adjust the ETA of an individual airport?
Individual ETAs cannot be edited directly. If your actual time of departure (ATD) differs significantly from STD, entering the ATD will automatically shift all downstream times accordingly.
Alerts
How long before my flight will I start receiving alerts?
Weather: Alerts begin up to 3 hours before your effective departure time. If you enter an ATD, the alerting window updates accordingly.
NOTAM: New NOTAMs are pushed within the same 3-hour pre-departure window, also adjusted by ATD when provided.
How are weather alerts triggered?
Weather alerts are triggered when forecast conditions breach the thresholds you have defined in Settings. Airport-specific overrides can also be configured for fields that require non-standard thresholds.
How are NOTAM alerts triggered?
You will be notified of new NOTAMs that affect any airport on your active route (departure, destination, takeoff alternate, destination alternate, or enroute alternates) and whose effective period overlaps the ±2-hour role window for that airport. NOTAMs below the minimum severity score are suppressed unless they fall under a category you have explicitly opted into.