C182 PLT EXPRESSES DISPLEASURE WITH THE PERTINENCE; TIMELINESS; QUALITY AND VOLUME OF NOTAMS RECEIVED WITH FAA BRIEFINGS FROM DUATS.

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TWO HOURS BEFORE TAKEOFF I SELF-BRIEFED THE WEATHER/NOTAMS USING DUATS. AS IS TYPICALLY THE CASE; THE MAJORITY OF THE DUATS OUTPUT CONSISTED NOT OF WEATHER INFORMATION; BUT OF NOTAMS THAT DIDN'T APPLY AND/OR NOTAMS THAT HAVE BEEN OUT THERE FOR YEARS. IN ANY CASE I DID NOT NOTICE ANY SIGNIFICANT NOTAMS FOR THE ROUTE OR DESTINATION. APPROACHING 90 NM FROM DESTINATION I PICKED UP ATIS. ATIS HAD A NOTAM FOR AERIAL DEMONSTRATION FLYING AT/BELOW 2500 FT WITHIN 5 NM RADIUS OF MY DESTINATION AIRPORT; AVOIDANCE ADVISED. THIS CAME AS A SURPRISE! I CALLED FSS TO ASK IF THE AIRPORT WAS TAKING ARRIVALS; TO WHICH THEY RESPONDED THAT THE AIRPORT WAS NOT CLOSED...SO I PRESSED ON. UPON ARRIVAL OUTSIDE DESTINATION AIRPORT CLASS D AIRSPACE; I FOUND RADIO TRAFFIC TO BE TYPICAL AND OTHER AIRPLANES IN THE PATTERN. THE FLIGHT ENDED UNEVENTFULLY. I DIDN'T SAVE MY DUAT BRIEFING SO I'LL NEVER KNOW IF THAT NOTAM WAS PART OF THE BRIEFING OR NOT. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS THE PERSISTENCE OF THESE YEARS-OLD NOTAMS ABOUT AVOIDING NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS; PROCEDURES TO FOLLOW WHEN FLYING TO/FROM THE USA; AVOIDING LARGE SPORTING EVENTS; AND KNOWING INTERCEPTION PROCEDURES. IT IS VERY EASY TO SKIM OVER THESE NOTAMS AND MISS A NEW; IMPORTANT NOTAM. A TYPICAL DUATS OUTPUT HAS 18 PAGES OF NOTAMS! CORRECTIVE ACTION WILL BE TO EXERCISE RENEWED VIGILANCE WHEN READING NOTAMS.