The FAA announced that they may be conducting flight tests out of Sea-Tac Airport Monday night, Jan. 8, 2018.

The FAA says these flights will likely be conducted between Midnight and 2 a.m., using an FAA Learjet aircraft, and that tests could be flown at low levels.

The City of Burien posted a notice on its website here: http://burienwa.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1390:

The purpose of the flights is to test a potential upgrade to the FAA’s current runway safety detection technology.

Flight tests are conducted overnight and the early morning hours because there is a low volume of traffic at night which adds to the promptness in completing the test.

The flight tests require certain weather conditions to be successful, so tests could fall to two alternate dates of January 9 or 10.

It is possible that one of the tests could be flown in an area where flights do not normally occur.

This should be a single night test and is NOT a new procedure.

Scott Schaefer

Founder/Publisher/Editor. Three-time National Emmy Award winning Writer (“Bill Nye the Science Guy”), Director, Producer, Journalist and more...