[gepardi]

Why is a Blackhawk helicopter Performing a “training flight” at night very close to DCA?

[alistairSH]

I'm pretty sure "training flight" in this context simply means they weren't actively carrying passengers. And it's not indicative of a junior or unqualified pilot (doesn't rule it out, just can't infer much from the phrase in this context).

At the extreme, fighter pilots fly almost exclusively training flights because we're not actively waging war at the moment.

There are a few military bases in the area - Belvior (Army), Quantico (USMC), Andrews (USAF), Pentagon, and some smaller ones (some of which have helipads, but no helicopters on station). And lots of shuttling of DoD and other government VIPs from location to location across the DC metro area.

[warner25]

Yes, the public needs to understand this. That unit's [1] task is to provide transportation to senior government officials and security forces around the capital, including to and from that airport. If they didn't train to operate there, then their first time doing so would be with someone like the Secretary of Defense onboard or during some other mission that's critical to national security.

And the aviators assigned to that unit are typically more senior people who've already done a tour or two with more conventional units. Source: I'm a career Army officer and former Black Hawk pilot.

[1] https://jtfncr.mdw.army.mil/TAAB/

[kube-system]

Because DCA is right beside a couple of military bases, the headquarters of the US military, and the political capital of the US.

These helicopters are always going up and down the Potomac all the time.

[RandomBacon]

Presumably because they might have to fly a regular flight at night very close to DCA?

Imagine if there was VIP onboard, especially if it was foreign VIP.