Why is the FAA Planning Low-Level Flight Inspections Near DC Airport?

On Saturday, June 11, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operated several low-level aircraft approaches below 1,000 feet in the vicinity of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, the Pentagon, and portions of Maryland, Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Pilots for the FAA‘s Flight Inspection Services flew a blue and white Lear Jet 60 at very low altitudes near the airport to conduct airborne inspections of all the space- and ground-based instrument flight procedures. One of the aircraft’s flight paths took it over the Pentagon at about 200 feet above the ground on approach to runway 15 at National Airport. The tests begun around 6 a.m. and were completed by about 8:30 a.m.

The FAA’s Flight Inspection Services aimed to provide airborne inspections of the electronic signals from navigational aids that support aircraft departure, enroute and arrival procedures throughout the nation’s airspace system. They evaluate flight procedures and surveillance systems for accuracy, aeronautical data, flyability and obstacle clearance. They also perform inspections on all Department of Defense navigational facilities that are designated as essential to the defense of the U.S.

Source: FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)