Survey flights

Survey flights by German Air Traffic Control (DFS) have been announced for the night of 30 to 31 July on the north and south runways at BER. A relatively quiet, twin-engine propeller aircraft of the Beechcraft Super King Air 350 type will be used for this purpose. During the survey flights, take-off and landing will be in a westerly direction, with certain areas frequently being flown over in succession at low altitude. Where possible, flights over built-up areas will be avoided, provided the specified flight profiles allow this.

During the survey flights, the Instrument Landing System (ILS) for the runway will be checked for accuracy and to ensure it is functioning correctly. The ILS assists pilots in day-to-day flight operations with navigation during the approach. Essentially, this is achieved through ground-based transmitters which, during landing, send information on the approach course and glide path to the aircraft’s cockpit.

The specially equipped survey aircraft checks the precision of the signals required for safe landings. As is customary, the survey flights take place at night, as air traffic does not permit this during the day and the ILS cannot be used for operational purposes whilst the flight survey is underway. The flights are therefore generally exempt from night flight restrictions. The ILS survey is required at regular intervals by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

The information published on this page is accurate as of the date of publication or last update.