AFWEX Status, 01 December 2000

Recap:
The MPIDIAL has integrated the new laser parts and is ready for science operations. The GSFC SRL has also determined an issue with "filter bleed-through" resulting in reduced performance at high altitudes; a successful solution has been implemented. After calling for a DC-8 flight at 11:30 CST, a second call was made at 4:00 to proceed with the flight. Prior to take-off, however, a low cloud deck associated with a front moving in from the north moved in over the CART site and the flight was cancelled. The Proteus flew a mission with a slow ascent over the CART site and then south to make a clear sky overpass of the Purcell boundary facility at ~2100 CST. At today's science meeting, Dave Whiteman showed comparisons of the SRL,CRL, and Vaisala sondes, illustrating a sonde dry bias at 12-14 km and removal of a SRL moist bias due to the filter bleed-through. Rich Ferrare showed comparisons of the Cryo, LASE, and a Vaisala sonde from the 11/29; the Vaisala measurements were moister than LASE and Cryo from ~10 to 11 km. Hank Revercomb showed SHIS spectra from the 11/29 level flight legs which showed expected beahvior from the various altitudes.

Weather:
Clear skies at the CART site at mid-morning, but with a front moving south-easterly from north central Kansas. By mid-afternoon, the low level cloud edge associated with the front was somewhat stationary just north of the Kansas border. By the scheduled take-off time (5:45pm), the clouds moved to the south giving heavy cloud cover over the CART site. Some cirrus also moving into the south-western portion of Oklahoma.

Instrument Status/Comments
CART site:
   CART Raman Lidar Normal operation.
   GSFC Raman Lidar No science operations.
   MPI DIAL is up and ready to go. Attempting (given clear skies) allignment procedures starting at 1700 today.
   WFF Chilled Mirror Sondes No operations.
   Other 1730 and 2030 CST Vaisala sondes delayed til 1830 and 2130 CST.
DC-8:
   LASE No operations.
   DLH No operations.
   Cryo frost-point/chilled-mirror No operations.
   SHIS No operations.
   COAST No operations.
   AeroSapient Operated on the aircraft for ~5 hrs despite the flight cancellation.
Proteus:
   NAST-I Normal operation.
   NAST-M Normal operation.
   FIRSC Normal operation. Second flight with science data.

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