FAA NOTAM A1297/26: GPS (including WAAS/GBAS/ADS‑B) may be unavailable daily 23:00–23:59 UTC 20–22 Oct 2026 within up to 330 NM radius centered at 30°38′31"N 86°21′47"W
Event summary
FAA NOTAM A1297/26, effective 2026-10-20T23:00:00Z through 2026-10-22T23:59:00Z (daily 23:00–23:59 UTC), warns GPS (including WAAS, GBAS and ADS‑B) may be unavailable within up to a 330 NM radius centered at 30°38′31"N 86°21′47"W; FAA operational pages show live updates as of 2026-10-21T05:13:08Z. This active NOTAM could force aviation and other GNSS‑reliant operators in the footprint to revert to non‑GNSS procedures during the stated daily windows.
CHRONOS Wire · October 21 · Alert 5
Publication details
- Published
- Updated
- Revision
- r1
- Source
- Notamify (NOTAM text mirror)
Cliff Notes
- Active FAA NOTAM A1297/26: GPS may be unavailable daily 23:00–23:59 UTC 20–22 Oct 2026 inside up to 330 NM radius centered at 30°38'31"N 86°21'47"W.
U.S. Impact
Current impact
Elevated
Active NOTAMs indicate immediate short daily windows (23:00–23:59 UTC) on 20–22 Oct 2026 where GPS may be unavailable.
Potential impact
Elevated
Significant operational impact to US aviation airspace and surveillance in the affected region during daily test windows; may force operators to revert to non‑GNSS procedures and affect ADS‑B surveillance.
- Impact type
- Direct
- Confidence
- High
U.S. Impact is an analytical assessment of the estimated current and potential effects on the United States. It is not a probability forecast.
ELI5: Plain-English Explanation
A large FAA NOTAM warns that GPS (including WAAS/GBAS/ADS‑B) may be unavailable daily 23:00–23:59 UTC on 20–22 Oct 2026 inside a radius up to 330 NM centered at 30°38′31″N, 86°21′47″W; this is active and could degrade navigation/surveillance for aviation and some maritime/land systems in the region.
Why Urgent Level 4
The NOTAM is currently active and applies to the coming nightly windows (20–22 Oct 2026); operators need immediate operational mitigations and NOTAM monitoring.
What Changed
A wide-area FAA GPS NOTAM (A1297/26) covering a 330 NM radius centered at 30°38′31"N 86°21′47"W with daily outages 23:00–23:59 UTC 20–22 Oct 2026 has been issued and is active; FAA operational pages show live updates as of 2026-10-21T05:13:08Z.
What Is Genuinely New
The NOTAM text and active daily windows for 20–22 Oct 2026 (A1297/26) were published and are currently active; FAA operational pages confirm live updates as of 2026-10-21T05:13:08Z.
CHRONOS Bottom Line
Pilots and operators in the affected area should assume GPS, WAAS, GBAS and ADS‑B may be unavailable during the stated daily window (23:00–23:59 UTC, 20–22 Oct 2026) and plan for non‑GNSS procedures; this is an active FAA NOTAM, not a future speculation.
Uncertainties / Known Unknowns
Cause of the NOTAM (test vs. anomaly vs. interference) is not specified in the NOTAM text; duration beyond 22 Oct 2026 is unknown.
Detailed Analysis
The NOTAM A1297/26 explicitly states GPS (including WAAS/GBAS/ADS‑B) 'MAY NOT BE AVBL' within a maximum 330 NM radius centered at 30°38'31"N 86°21'47"W during daily 23:00–23:59 UTC on 20–22 Oct 2026, with graduated radii by altitude. This is consistent with prior GPS testing NOTAM patterns and with other FAA postings of GPS testing in the same date range. Operational impact includes loss or degradation of RNAV/GNSS approaches and ADS‑B surveillance in the footprint during the stated windows; operators should consult their NOTAM feed and ATC for mitigations.
Sources / Evidence
- 01KZFW NOTAM A1297/26 (mirror)Notamify (NOTAM text mirror)2026-10-20
- 02Current Restrictions — FAAFAA (fly.faa.gov restrictions)2026-10-21
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