2014-07-28 (Flight #2048) |
Aircraft Flight SummaryDate: 2014-07-28 |
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Flight Mission Details
This was P-3B tenth 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 2048 on July 28, 2014 out of Bloomfield Municipal Airport. Observations by CAR PI, Charles Gatebe, CAR operator, accompanied by Bryan James/engineer.
19:44 -- preflight checks.
19:46 -- aircraft engines on.
19:50 -- CAR power on. CAR door closed.
19:53 -- Cryopump on.
19:54 -- aircraft start taxing.
20:01 -- takeoff
20:04 -- Bryan James takes over as CAR operator.
20:05 -- very cloudy, almost overcast. Filter wheel looks noisy.
20:06 -- over La Casa.
20:07 -- reported O3 = 80 ppb.
20:10 -- filter wheel unstable - signal spikes.
20:13 -- filter wheel position change.
20:16 -- cryopump reset.
20:20 -- very cloudy. Ch 9 not good.
20:21 -- completed spirals over La Casa. Current draw noted as 1.66 amp when ch9 was not working, and 1.74 amp when ch9 was working.
20:25 -- spiral down over Hatfield. Completely overcast.
20:29 -- penetrating clouds cells.
20:30 -- filter wheel reset.
20:32 -- O3 = 90 ppb, H20 > 100?
20:36 -- end of spiral over Chatfield.
20:39 -- very low noise in Ch9. Current draw = 1.73 amp. Completely overcast.
20:43 -- Ch7 looks noisy.
20:53 -- missed approach at at Christman Field, Fort Collins. Start spiral. Completely overcast.
21:00 -- cloud breaks observed in some directions.
21:06 -- Ch9 looks noisy. Alt. 5449 m. High pollutant concentrations. Overcast sky. Very low surface reflectance.
21:09 -- finished spiral up. Alt. 5595 m.
21:11 -- overcast sky. Flying straight and level.
21:12 -- Ch9 noisy again.
21:15 -- in a cloud field. Bumpier.
21:16 -- still bumpy. Seems to be in the diffusion domain.
21:19 -- almost completely dark below cloud.
21:21 -- spiral below a cloud.
21:24 -- end of spiral.
21:26 -- almost overcast; flying low. Alt. 1760 m.
21:28 -- over a water pond.
21:29 -- missed approach at Weld County airport, Greeley.
21:34 -- low level flight. Alt. 1858 m.
21:37 -- overcast. Surface very dark.
21:46 -- spiral up over Golden. Overcast.
21:50 --very dark over Golden during the spiral. Sky overcast. No rain.
21:55 -- Tornado warning over Denver and Greely.
21:59 -- end of spiral. Heading towards BAO tower. Overcast sky. Radiation almost isotropic.
22:02 -- Report of a tornado touch down.
22:03 -- spiral down at BAO
22:11 -- Alt. 2666 m. Breaks in the clouds.
22:16 -- heading towards La Casa. Overcast sky.
22:21 -- layered clouds over La Casa.
22:23 -- surface very dark. Sky completely overcast.
11:25 -- end of spiral. Alt. 3000 m.
22:30 -- spiral down over Hatfield. Very dark.
22:33 -- heading toward Golden.
22:37 -- CAR power shutdown.
22:40 -- landing.
22:45 -- stop taxi. engines power off.
