2014-07-22 (Flight #2043) |
Aircraft Flight SummaryDate: 2014-07-22 |
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Flight Mission Details
This was P-3B fifth flight out of Bloomfield Municipal Airport, Colorado. The aircraft took measurements over the six D-AQ sites: Fort Collins/site-1, Platteville/site-2, Golden NREL/site-3, BAO Tower/site-4, Denver/La Casa/site-5, and Chatfield Park/site-6.
Key instruments on P-3B include:
1. LARGE (Langley Aerosol Research GroupE): aerosols.
2. PDS (Project Data System): base meteorological and navigational measurements.
3. TD LIF: NO2, HNO3, PNs, ANs;
4. DLH (Diode Laser Hygrometer), H20.
5. DACOM (Differential Absorption CO Measurement): CO, CH4
6. DFGAS (Difference Frequency Generation Absorption Spectrometer): CH20
7. Chemiluminescence (NCAR 4-channel Chemiluminescence Instrument): O3, NO2, NO, NOy
8. PTR-MS (Proton-Transfer-Reaction Mass Spectrometer): non-methane hydrocarbons.
9. AVOCET (Atmospheric Vertical Observations of CO2 in the Earth's Troposphere): CO2.
10. CAR (Cloud Absorption Radiometer): scattered light and surface radiance that is reflected off of surfaces.
11. Fast Ethane Spectrometer: ethane, methane.
Flight Path, Timing, and Measurements
Approximate time in UTC (Colorado, -6 hours). Activities during CAR flight 2043 on July 22, 2014 out of Bloomfield Municipal Airport. Observations by CAR PI, Charles Gatebe, accompanied by Bryan James, CAR engineer. Bryan operated the CAR on this flight for the first time.
19:38 -- preflight briefing.
19:39 -- engines on.
19:44 -- power transfer complete (from ground generator to aircraft power).
19:45 -- CANS on.
19:47 -- CAR on.
19:51 -- cryopump on.
19:53 -- temp. about 30C.
19:56 -- take off.
19:58 -- CAR door open.
20:01 -- flying low. Aircraft shadow on ground visible.
20:04 -- filter wheel channels spiking.
20:05 -- heading to Fort Collins. Clear sky.
20:11 -- filter wheel channel unstable.
20:12 -- Nav temp. 32°C.
20:15 -- filter wheel stabilizing.
20:16 -- clear sky, but some clouds forming towards the horizon.
20:18 -- filter wheel spiking.
20:20 -- reset the cryopump.
20:24 -- Alt. 5612 m. End of spiral at Fort Collins/site-1.
20:28 -- Filter wheel spiking.
20:29 -- Nav temp. 22°C.
20:30 -- filter wheel still spiking. Spiral down at Platteville/site-2.
20:33 -- filter wheel still spiking.
20:38 -- clouds banks starting to form.
20:41 -- filter wheel channels stabilizing. Alt. 1894 m.
20:43 -- end of spiral. Heading toward Greeley for missed approach.
20:47 -- missed approach at Greeley/Weld County airport.
20:49 -- scattered high clouds visible. Not very hazy.
20:52 -- flying low level. Alt. 1790 m. More clouds visible.
20:48 -- more clouds, seen in the CAR, 0-40 deg.
21:01 -- over Golden/site-3.
21:02 -- can see red balloon. Ozone 85 ppb.
21:03 -- more clouds in the zenith direction.
21:04 -- spiral up begins. More clouds seen. Pollution gradient reported.
21:08 -- clouds in the zenith.
21:10 -- sinusoidal reflectance pattern at nadir due to cloud shadows.
21:12 -- cloud deck above.
21:15 -- Alt. 5610 m. Scattered Cb. Looks hazy below.
21:25 -- BAO tower/site-4. Spiral down. Large cloud cells over the site.
21:30 -- Alt. 2515 m. Cb still visible in some scan angles. Hazy.
21:31 -- end of spiral.
21:34 -- missed approach at Parkland airport. Ozone: 75-80 ppb. Formaldehyde - 4 ppb.
21:36 -- Alt. 1906 m. Scatted Cu.
21:39 -- low level leg, alt. 1953 m. More clouds.
21:42 -- Denver LaCasa/site-5. Spiral up.
21:44 -- clear sky one side.
21:49 -- pollution gradient during the spiral.
21:50 -- more high Cb.
21:59 -- Chatfield Park/site 6. Spiral down starts.
22:03 -- high clouds seen on one side of the spiral.
22:05 -- Alt. 4819 m.
22:09 -- huge Cb.
22:14 -- under the Cb (overcast). Alt. 1954 m.
22:15 -- under a very thick Cb. End of spiral.
22:17 -- low level flight, alt. 2069 m.
22:18 -- Ozone 95 ppb. Filter wheel at 1.6 µm.
22:20 -- heading towards Fort Collins.
22:21 -- filter wheel spikes.
22:23 -- more spikes in the filter wheel data.
22:25 -- Table mountains. Ozone: 89 ppb.
22:26 -- filter wheel channel at 2.1 µm.
22:30 -- missed approach at Fort Collins/Christman Air Field.
22:31 -- Ozone: 85 ppb.
22:33 -- clouds in the zenith. Filter wheel at 1.6µm.
22:34 -- spiral up at Fort Collins. Clouds in the zenith.
22:36 -- thick cloud in the zenith. Aerosol decrease reported. Alt. 3365m.
22:37 -- spike in the filter wheel.
22:38 -- surface looks relatively dark. Sun low in the sky.
22:39 -- very dark cloud. Alt. 4134 m.
22:41 -- thick cloud in the zenith.
22:43 -- same thick cloud in the zenith. Alt. 5423 m.
22:44 -- Alt. 5607 m. End of spiral.
22:47 -- Alt. 5630 m. Clear sky in the zenith, hazy towards nadir.
22:51 -- heading towards Platteville.
22:52 -- spike in the filter wheel.
22:53 -- Cb clouds. Alt. 5653 m. Clouds seems to be higher.
22:55 -- spiral down. Very thick clouds in the zenith.
22:57 -- sky almost overcast.
23:00 -- Nav temp. 17°C.
23:03 -- cloud shadows. Ozone > 90 ppb.
23:05 -- under a very thick cloud.
23:06 -- ozone about 100 ppb.
23:08 -- CAR shutdown.
23:13 -- landing.
23:14 -- CANS off.
23:29 -- engines off.
23:32 -- all systems down.
