Data: INTEX-B 2006

10 March 2006 (Flight #1910)

CAR QuickLook Imagery

Overview

This was the second of two flights flown on 10 Mar. Preflight goals focused on getting AOD & water vapor profiles and transects, SSFR fluxes, CAR circles, and RSP legs over the Gulf in the MODIS-Aqua glint-free swath of the Aura/A-train swath.

Engine on: 1848 UT
Engine off: 2119 UT

Takeoff: 1909 UT
Land: 2115 UT

1957 UT Aqua overpass

Cabin crew: Billings, Cairns, Gatebe, Cumbane, Schmidt, Redemann (flight scientist.)

Pilot Summary

No issues, except changing flight plan to east rather than north. This was phoned to Jose Meitin before flight, who confirmed that Air Force had no problem with change, and who phoned Mexico City ATC.

Discussion of Flight

Flight Scientist: Another very good flight. Turned A/C around very quickly: 1 hr 10 min from landing to takeoff. Clouds to N (lo & hi). AODs still 0.17 to 0.19. Relatively flat spectra. Caught Aqua halfway thru spiral at overpass. RSP maneuvers under Brian’s guidance. No clear spot for CAR circles. Leg under cirrus for SSFR.

In future, it helps if CAR BRDF circles are in same location as spiral—get AOD profile.

Instrument Performance & Status

AATS: Worked great, & got data file. Pressure problem from previous flight still present (see NavMet below), affecting realtime Rayleigh OD & AOD.

CAR:  Worked great A to Z.

RSP: Working fine. Good data. Afternoon better than morning because of bigger gaps in cirrus.

SSFR: Worked OK. Might have been temperature stabilization problem in 1 detector—not expected to be big problem.

POS: Worked fine.

Navmet: Took & displayed data. But pressure problem from previous flight still present.

Flight Path, Timing, and Measurements (all times UT [VER local +6])

1912: 15,500’ heading for point off VER
11,500’, reached top of aerosol layer, good open slot.

1926: 200’ started descent profile

1937: 200-300’, started low level leg, considerable AOD @ 1.6 micron ~0.08. Ocean dark & calmer than during morning flight

2002: spiral ascent to 12,000’

2015: 12,000’, RSP legs, 5 min principal plane, 2 min across

2028: 12,000’, Looking for clear spot for CAR maneuvers

2049: 12,000’, heading for high level cloud deck for SSFR cloud transmittance experiment

2100: 12,000’ RTB

2110: Ramp descent into VER, clear sky conditions

Figure 1. Planned flight track, J31 Flight VER05, 10 Mar 2006.

Figure 2. Actual flight track, J31 Flight VER06, 10 March 2006

Figure 3. NavMet data, J31 Flight VER06, 10 March 2006. Pressure and static temperature data shown are before postflight correction. - larger image

Figure 4. AATS aerosol optical depth (AOD) and column water vapor data, J31 Flight VER06, 10 March 2006. Pressure altitudes in bottom frame are after postflight correction of static pressure. - larger image

CAR - (quicklook)
Imagery from CAR Instrument

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