“The following changes are being made to adapt the order to the current NOTAM guidelines / processes and to ensure compliance with ICAO standards and contracts,” says the statement of changes. “These changes include changing the acronym NOTAM from Notice to Airmen to the more appropriate Notice to Air Missions.”
Some members of the pilot community have used social media to mock the change: but it represents a major ongoing effort by the FAA to modernize its language and systems to accommodate a wide variety of aviators and aircraft. “Air Mission” is not only gender-neutral, it also describes the use of drones more precisely – and the use of other aircraft may still be undefined.
NOTAM’s name change is the latest step in the FAA’s efforts to update the language in the FAA’s vast library to “include all Airmen and all missions.” In the July episode of the FAA podcast, The Air Up There, the FAA took a direct look at issues of gender equality. When asked to contribute on diversity and inclusivity, the Drone Advisory Committee proposed changing the term “unmanned aviation” to “unmanned aviation” and identified a number of other traditional gendered terms such as “aviator” and “repairman”. . “
While some pilots may find the change unimportant, neutral terms confirm the potential and opportunity for students and people interested in entering the industry. “Words are important. As a lawyer, I’ve said this throughout my career, ”says Dawn Zoldi, CEO of P3Tech Consulting. “This seemingly minor acronym change can have a big impact on how women and young girls perceive their potential roles in an aviation industry that is consciously and consciously welcoming of all. I am proud of the FAA for making this change and I hope others will follow suit in promoting inclusion. “
As the drone industry in particular continues its explosive growth, companies cannot afford to limit their potential talent pool, even without intending to. Young companies like Skydio have placed great value on diversity in their personnel development; This strategy is important for employees, customers and investors. As systems designed for more traditionally manned aircraft increasingly need to be expanded and developed to incorporate new technologies such as unmanned systems, an integrative approach that is designed for change can only be beneficial.
