A.I. vs. NOTAMs! Hunting the Hidden Threat

Brief

SoCal Flying Monkey's demo-review (published 2026-07-14) tests ForeFlight's new ClearNOTAMs AI against long-standing NOTAM hazards. The video demonstrates the model translating dense, coded NOTAMs into plain language, catching issues like a removed approach night authorization and a buried climb-gradient change, yet stresses that pilots must still verify the original NOTAM text.

Why it matters

ForeFlight's ClearNOTAMs AI translates coded NOTAM text into plain language while preserving the original; in SoCal Flying Monkey's tests it detected a subtle edit that changed an approach's night authorization and flagged a buried climb-gradient change that could risk obstacle collision on departure.

Key details

ClearNOTAMs is offered as a free trial to all ForeFlight pilots for three months; after the trial it is included with ForeFlight's Performance Plus subscription and above (video published 2026-07-14 and sponsored by ForeFlight).

SoCal Flying Monkey evaluated the model using historically problematic NOTAMs (the 'Crane NOTAM', 'Bird NOTAM', and the 'Killer NOTAM') to check whether AI surfaces small but dangerous wording changes.

Can AI beat the archaic NOTAM system? For a hundred years, the NOTAM has had no natural predator. This year, that changed.

This video is sponsored by ForeFlight.

I previously catalogued the wild, chaotic world of NOTAMs — the Crane NOTAM, the Bird NOTAM, and the one every pilot dreads finding too late: the Killer NOTAM. This time, something new has entered that ecosystem: ClearNOTAMs, ForeFlight's new AI model built specifically to translate dense, coded NOTAM text into plain language — without ever hiding the original from you.

I put it up against the same kinds of NOTAMs that have been quietly dangerous for decades: a small, easy-to-miss edit that changes an approach's night authorization, and a buried climb gradient change that could put you into an obstacle on departure. Here's what it caught, what it didn't replace, and why the original NOTAM text still matters even when the AI gets it right.

ClearNOTAMs is a free trial for every ForeFlight pilot for the next three months — after that, it's included with Performance Plus and above.*

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This video is not instructional in any way. I am not a CFI. I am sharing my experience and thoughts about this flight and this should be taken as entertainment only. By sharing mistakes and accomplishments alike, hopefully the aviation community will benefit.

Channel: SoCal Flying Monkey
Published: 2026-07-14
Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoUCsAU5GSE