AFWEX Status, 27 November 2000

Recap:
The DC-8 and Proteus made their ferry flights from California today, with science flights over the CF before landing. The DC-8 performed an X pattern over the CF at 40kft while the Proteus performed a mapping pattern at 55kft, followed by spirals down around the site. In addition to the standard CART observations, coincident GSFC Raman Lidar and Chilled mirror sonde measurements were made from the CART site. Set-up efforts continued at each of the sites.

Weather:
Partly to mostly cloudy at midday with mid-level and high cirrus, with considerable clearing toward evening. Total column water vapor just over 1 cm for nearly all of the day. High cirrus and some infrequent patchy low clouds encountered during the science portion of the ferry flight. Reports of high winds, instability, water vapor variability, and high ozone concentrations at 40kft over the CF during the flight.

Instrument Status/Comments
CART site:
   CART Raman Lidar Normal operation.
   GSFC Raman Lidar Operational during science portion of flights. Some concern over laser performance.
   MPI DIAL Not operational. Failed Q-switch. Waiting on parts.
   WFF Chilled Mirror Sondes Operational. Launches at 1850 and 2150 CST.
   Other 1730 and 2030 CST Vaisala sonde launches delayed til 1830 and 2130 CST.
DC-8:
   LASE Normal operation.
   DLH Normal operation.
   Cryo frost-point/chilled-mirror Normal operation.
   SHIS Normal operation. Demonstrated improved noise performance.
   COAST Normal operation.
   AeroSapient Normal operation.
Proteus:
   NAST-I Normal operation.
   NAST-M Normal operation.
   FIRSC Engineering flight. No science data.

Dave Tobin, University of Wisconsin
dave.tobin@ssec.wisc.edu