Source: DCAlert
Date:  December 21, 2011

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Homeland Security, will conduct calibration flights on December 22nd over the Washington D.C. area.

The calibration flights will take place from approximately 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and will be performed by a civilian Beech craft King Air aircraft flying patterns at approximately 2000 feet above ground level. These flights have been carefully planned and will be closely controlled. The flights are intended to assist in calibration of systems and equipment, and will serve to refine and improve our ability to respond to unknown and potentially threatening aircraft.

If the flights have to be cancelled for any reason, they will be attempted again on December 23rd at the same time.

NORAD is the binational Canadian and American command that provides maritime warning, aerospace warning and aerospace control for Canada and the United States. The command has three subordinate regional headquarters: the Alaskan NORAD Region at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska; the Canadian NORAD Region at Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg, Manitoba; and the Continental NORAD Region at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.

For more information about NORAD, refer to http://www.norad.mil/Home.html.