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Notes from Steve Platnick:
ER-2 Flight Log
Author: Steve Platnick
Mission Scientist: Steve Platnick
ER-2 Pilot: Bill Collette
Takeoff: 02June1998 1940 UTC
Landing: 03June1998 0230 UTC
Flight Duration: 6:50
Objective:
The objective of this mission was to overfly the ARM site in coordination with University of Washington CV-580 aircraft for remote sensing validation and cloud masking. Continue northward without the CV-580 to fly several legs over the SHEBA ice camp (76°48’N, 167°31’W).
Coordinations:
The leg from the ARM site to the ice camp was flown in coordination with a NOAA-14 overpass. Return flight leg was over the ARM site.
Other coordinations included:
F-14 satellite (2341 UTC)
NOAA-14 satellite (2242 UTC)
Key Flight Legs:
The ER-2 flew three flight legs of about 260 km in length, oriented with the solar azimuth (about 164° at mean time of overpasses), while the CV-580 attempted above and below-cloud bidirectional reflectance measurements and in situ profiles through the cloud.
After overflying the ARM site, the ER-2 flew a NW flight line coordinated with NOAA-14 (318° heading). Because of a slightly earlier than scheduled takeoff, the pilot had to make two circular turns en route to the start of the SHEBA legs to match the timing of the satellite overpass.
At the SHEBA ice station, the ER-2 made two-and-one-half north-south legs of about 260 km in length. Because of a late turn-on for AirMISR during the southbound leg over the ice station (point 6 to point 4), the pilot turned back to repeat the start of the leg (at point 6).
The ER-2 overflew the ARM site on the return to Ft. Wainwright.
The AirMISR was turned on for 6 acquisitions: three times over the ARM
site, twice over SHEBA ice station, and once on the return over the ARM
site. The AirMISR operated at the following times with notes of observed
clouds as seen by the instrument:
2043-2055 UTC (ARM - first 5 of 9 angles gathered; broken clouds)
2111-2123 UTC (ARM - complete run of 9 angles; broken clouds)
2139-2151 UTC (ARM - complete run; broken clouds)
2249-2301 UTC (SHEBA - complete run; overcast with thin cloud)
2332-2344 UTC (SHEBA - complete run; overcast with thin cloud)
0101-0113 UTC (ARM - complete run; clear)
Pilot Report:
The ER-2 pilot reported cloud cover just north of Barrow during the flight legs over the ARM site, with clear sky to the south. Some cirrus was seen en route to SHEBA. The ice station was at the northern end of an extensive solid cloud sheet with clear sky just to the north. Barrow was clear on the return leg.
Meteorology:
Multilevel clouds, including cirrus, were expected throughout the region.
SHEBA: Morning report of fog and clouds at all levels, including cirrus. Morning radar reported clouds from 3.1-3.8 km; surface winds southeasterly at 5 kts. Near the time of the ER-2 overpass (2100 UTC) the ice station radar reported multiple cloud layers between 0.3-1.5 km and 1.5-3.7 km; lidar reported liquid stratocumulus at 3.5 km; surface observations were clear to the NE, solid cover to the south, clearer to the west, surface winds from the northeast at 5 kts.
Barrow: Cloud conditions were expected to be similar to those at the ice station. The CV-580 flew coordinated patterns over the ARM site and reported a broken stratocumulus layer.
Instrument Status:
AirMISR (Airborne Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer): Partial first
run, last five runs worked well
AMPR (Advanced Microwave Precipitation Radiometer): Worked well
CLS (Cloud Lidar System): Worked well
HIS (High-resolution Interferometer Sounder): Worked well (had correctable
time clock offset)
MAS (MODIS Airborne Simulator): Worked well
MIR (Millimeter-wave Imaging Radiometer): Worked well
SSFR (Solar Spectral Flux Radiometer): Worked well