Data: ARCTAS 2008 Flight #2005

2008-04-15 (Flight #2005)

Aircraft Flight Summary

Date: 2008-04-15
Flight Time: 18:49 - 02:59 UTC
Data Time: 18:58 - 02:45 UTC
Aircraft Type: NASA P-3B
Flight Scientist: Dr. Philip Russell
Flight Number: 2005
Mission Location: Arctic
Lat/Lon Coverage: 64.67°N/160.45°W to 71.56°/147.65°W

Flight Track Map

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GOES-11 satellite loop for flight number 2005

1715 - 0245 UTC

CAR - (QuickLook)
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Flight Direction	Flight Direction

Flight Mission Details

Overview:
This was the 5th flight out of Alaska. Preflight goals included intercomparison flight with NOAA WP-3D under B-200, radiation stacked legs with NOAA WP-3D flying, fly CALIPSO track during overpass, and CAR BRDF circles over Elson Lagoon.

P-3B instrument payload:
AATS: Ames Airborne Tracking Sunphotomter (AATS) measured direct solar beam transmission at 14 wavelengths between 354 and 2139 nm in narrow channels with bandwidths between 2 and 5.6 nm for the wavelengths less than 1640 nm and 17.3 nm for the 2139 nm channel. No issues reported.

AERO3X: measured aerosol extinction and scattering at 405 nm and 675 nm, scattering in Forward and Back directions at both wavelengths and NO2 mixing ratio. No reported issues.

BBR: Broad Band Radiometer measured: Down- and Up-welling Solar (0.2-3.6 µm) and IR Irradiance (4.2-42 micron). Computer glitch reported.

CAR - Cloud Absorption Radiometer measured angular distribution of scattered radiation and acquired imagery of cloud and snow/ice surface features.

CCN Counter - Continuous-Flow Streamwise Thermal Gradient Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN) Counter (CFSTGC) - counted the fraction of aerosol particles that become droplets when exposed to a given water vapor supersaturation (RH > 100%). Worked well entire flight.

COBALT - Carbon monOxide By Attenuated Laser Transmission (COBALT), an autonomous instrument based on off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy took measurements of carbon monoxide. Reported power/current glitch. Good intercomparison with NOAA P-3.

HiGEAR - Hawii Group for Environmental Aerosol Research (HiGEAR) suite of instruments measured size resolved aerosols. Least successful flight so far. Flooded the instrument at start of trip, siphoned instrument manually. No issues with AMS.

PDS Project Data System (PDS) measured base meteorological and navigational measurements. No issues reported.

REVEAL - The Research Environment for Vehicle-Embedded Analysis on Linux (REVEAL) system is a prototype next-generation tool for aerospace vehicle sensor webs and the future Earth Observation System. Tested X-chat. RTMM tested.

SSFR -Solar Spectral Flux Radiometer measured spectrally resolved solar irradiance (380 nm to 2200 nm) over snow/ice and clouds. No issues reported.

Flight Path, Timing, and Measurements

Approximate time in UTC (Alaska time - 8 hours). Activities during CAR flight 2001 on April 4, 2008 out of Fairbanks International Airport, Alaska heading north towards Barrow. Notes by CAR operator/PI, Charles Gatebe.

18:38 -- Engines on.
18:49 -- Taxing.
18:57 -- Takeoff
18:39 -- CAR powered on and running.
19:07 -- overcast.
19:14 -- Haze reported.
19:19 -- two layers observed towards the horizon. Alt. of plane ~7300 m msl.
20:29 -- Roll reading incorrect.
20:35 -- Pilot requested to make clockwise turns to check the roll readings.
20:49 -- NOAA P-3B intercomparison.
21:28 -- end of intercomparison.
21:29 -- CAR scanned NOAA P-3. check scans ~15030.
21:46 -- Alt. >7900 m msl.
22:59 -- CAR 2.1 µm signal low.
22:49 -- Terra overpass.
22:51 -- AOD 0.11 (at 0.499 µm). Alt. 1203 m msl.
22:58 -- Cirrus above the plane. AOD ~0.13 @0.499µm.
23:21 -- level leg at 182 m agl for 2 minutes.

23:27 -- BRDF circle #1 at <182 m msl. Low AOD ~0.13
23:29 -- BRDF circle #2
23:31 -- BRDF circle #3
23:32 -- BRDF circle #4
23:33 -- BRDF circle #5
23:35 -- BRDF circle #6
23:37 -- BRDF circle #7

23:54 -- level leg at 3000 m agl.

24:01 -- BRDF circle #1. Alt <3000 m msl
24:03 -- BRDF circle #2
24:04 -- BRDF circle #3
24:06 -- BRDF circle #4
24:08 -- BRDF circle #5
24:10 -- BRDF circle #6
24:12 -- BRDF circle #7
24:13 -- end of BRDF.

02:41 -- cloud above.
02:45 -- CAR door closed. CAR power off.
02:48 -- Landed. (WFF report: 02:51).
02:59 -- Engine off.

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