State Border NOTAM Elements: Precision Mapping Along International Boundaries

12/27/2025

NOTAMs referencing international borders have long been a visualization nightmare. When you read "THEN COUNTERCLOCKWISE ALONG THE STATE BORDER TO THE POINT," how do you actually draw that? Today, Notamify handles these complex boundary-following instructions with precision.

The Challenge: Borders Aren't Straight Lines

Consider this real NOTAM from Poland (D8738/25):

NAV WRNG FOR AIRSPACE:
LATERAL LIMITS (WGS-84):
1. 550320N0184457E
2. 532856N0184613E
3. 522825N0193912E
4. 513316N0213143E
5. 504151N0214358E
6. 491941N0205255E
THEN COUNTERCLOCKWISE ALONG THE STATE BORDER TO THE POINT:
1. 550320N0184457E
VERTICAL LIMITS: GND-FL95

Six coordinate points define the eastern edge of a warning area. But the western closure? "COUNTERCLOCKWISE ALONG THE STATE BORDER." That's hundreds of kilometers of irregular international boundary that traditional NOTAM systems simply cannot render.

What Previous Systems Got Wrong

Before this update, systems would either:

  • Ignore the instruction entirely - drawing a straight line from point X back to point 1
  • Display text only - leaving pilots to manually trace borders on separate charts
  • Approximate with rough lines - creating potentially misleading representations

For military activity warnings like D8738/25, inaccurate boundaries could mean the difference between a safe route and an inadvertent violation.

What Notamify Shows

The result is a complete map shape showing:

  • The explicitly defined eastern boundary (points 1-6)
  • The border-following western closure
  • The source NOTAM text beside the visualization for verification

Why this matters

Boundary-following NOTAMs are hard to review from text alone. A map view helps users see the published restriction as a real area instead of mentally tracing a border, coastline, or FIR edge on another chart.

Real-World Examples

This enhancement is particularly valuable for:

  • Security warnings — frequent military activity NOTAMs along borders
  • Maritime approach areas — restrictions following coastlines
  • FIR boundary warnings — airspace advisories that follow FIR edges
  • Cross-border military exercises — complex areas spanning multiple countries

Poland Border 1
Restricted area EPR129 active with prohibitions and specified exemptions between

Poland Border 2
Advisory area established where unplanned military activity may occur

This feature is available now for all Notamify users. Try it with Polish NOTAMs →


Working with NOTAMs that reference unusual boundaries or have complex geometric definitions? Let us know through our feedback form — your real-world examples help us continue improving NOTAM visualization.

Damian Szumski

Damian Szumski

founder

10+ years of experience in flight operations, tech and AI. Making aviation data more accessible and understandable for everyone.

    State Border NOTAM Elements: Precision Mapping Along International Boundaries | Notamify Blog