posted Thu Sep 17 08:24:00 1998 PDT
| Date of Mission: | 15 August, 1998 |
| Daily Mission Scientist: | Ed Zipser |
| Deputy Daily Mission Scientist: | Gerry Heymsfield |
| DC-8 Scientist: | Ed Zipser |
| S-POL Scientist: | Gerry Heymsfield |
| Project Scientist: | Robbie Hood |
| UND Citation II Scientist: | |
| Water Vapor Scientist: | |
| Nowcasters: | Bart Geerts Richard Wohlman |
At the 1630 UT briefing, we postponed takeoff time for the NASA a/c
by one hour, until 1930. The Mission Scientist traveled to the S-POL radar
between ~1700-1810, arriving just in time to participate in the decision
(with forecaster Geerts at PAFB) that an additional 30-minute postponement
until 2000 was wise, because the convective clouds were not developing into
our operational area as rapidly as anticipated.
Shortly after launch of all 3 aircraft at about 2000, while enroute
to the first target area about 70 nm NW of S-POL, the Citation lost cockpit
radar and had to abort. The ER-2 and DC-8 were given N-S lines (1 and 2)
through a dissipating convective storm, which was worked from about
2043-2123. Just in time for the (2141 UT) TRMM overpass, a larger area
including the original target became workable as a formerly strong storm
weakened considerably. The two a/c were set up along Line 3, WSW-ENE,
which they flew 3 times from about 2134-2217, the first leg including the
overpass. After 2217, the DC-8 went offshore to drop a sonde and find a
clearer area for LASE, while the ER-2 was directed to a solid 60 nm N-S
line of convective cells which had formed near the merged east coast and
west coast sea breeze lines (resembling a zipper on radar). They made one
run in each direction over this line of storms, which weakened during the
runs. Both a/c were on the ground by about 2320.
Communications at S-POL were excellent from my perspective with all
a/c. Dave Webber did an excellent job on the radio, and Ed Brandes was a
major help at S-POL in keeping ahead of the weather and spotting
opportunities for flight track changes. A team of three is needed there,
especially if the Citation were flying in addition to the two NASA birds.
| ER2 Tail Number: | NASA 806 |
| Sortie: | 98-108 |
| CAMEX-3 Flight Number: | 98-03 |
| Pilot: | Jan Nystrom |
| Take Off: | 2004 UTC (98/08/15) |
| Landing: | 2310 UTC (98/05/15) |
| Duration: | 3.01 hrs |
| DC8 Tail Number: | NASA 817 |
| Sortie: | 980406 |
| CAMEX-3 Flight Number: | 98-03 |
| Pilot: | Gordon Fullerton Dick Ewens |
| Mission Manager: | Chris Miller |
| Navigator: | Russ Padula |
| Take Off: | 1910 UTC (98/08/15) |
| Landing: | 2325 UTC (98/08/15) |
| Duration: | 3.25 hrs |
| UND Tail Number: | UND N77ND |
| Sortie: | 1 |
| Pilot: | Kent Streibel |
| Take Off: | 2200 UTC (98/08/15) |
| Landing: | 2430 UTC (98/08/15) |
| Duration: | .50 hrs |
TRMM-coordinated mission with ER-2 and DC 8. Sampled a line under the other two aircraft between +2 and -45 degrees C. Excellent documentation of particle habit types, including those in the melting level. Finished with a spiral descent through clouds on the way home. Case was a stratiform cloud with embedded convective elements.
No 2DP or 1DP probe today...will have to rely on CPI and 2DC probe. INS position data, but no GPS today.
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