FCK211 - Calibration Flight

[dunno]

by chance, I came across this flight:

FCK211 from THU sep.25 23:12 CEST to FRI sep.26 00:53 CEST

http://www.flightradar24.com/FCK211/46bab13

the flight path looks pretty weird - two large, perfect circles and some erratic patterns in between ...

I wonder what is the purpose of such flights, what is being calibrated?

[fungus]

Dunno,

These aircraft are used to calibrate the ground-based radio navigation aids for aircraft operation throughout the world (obviously not all using the same callsign), all in the name of aviation safety. These nav aids include VOR's, NDB's and the ILS (Instrument Landing System for major airports) and possibly the military TACAN's (similar to VOR's), although I'd stand corrected on the TACAN's. ADA4 (VH-FIZ/ http://www.flightradar24.com/ADA4/46e4ade) is performing this operation at Sydney (YSSY), Australia as I type using the ATC callsign 'Ozcal4'. It's operated by Pearl Aviation under contract to Air Services Australia. If you have access to a 'Premium' account you can add the NDB and VOR beacons to your map and see where they are located. Listen to ATC (http://www.liveatc.net/) and you'll frequently hear them referred to if they happen to form part of a flightplan, or if part of an arrival/departure procedure.

See the following link;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_inspection which also has links to explain what the individual nav aids actually are.

Regards,
Gregg

[12qfloyd]

I'm new here and have observed such a flight.
On 24/08/20FCK211 FCS V 24.08.2016.jpg16 about Germany near Berlin.
Regards from Berlin/Germany,
Floyd