ER-2 Flight: 97041

Date: January 28, 1997

Mission: Ferry flight from Moffett Field to Madison, WI

Mission Objectives

Test ER-2 instrument performance/integration. Underfly ADEOS IMG instrument. Overfly Space Science instrumentation (HSRL, AERI, Classonde, Nolin snow measurements) at end of flight.

Flight Summary

Take off at 1620 UTC. ER-2 landed at MSN at 2000 UTC. ER-2 underflew portion of ADEOS satellite (IMG turned on) over NE/SD region. Overpass at 1733 UTC. Overpass track between 43:40N, 97:40W to 39:50N, 99:00W. ER-2 didn't arrive at first checkpoint until 1736 UTC because of extreme headwinds at 50mb. Sky conditions during overpass were cirrus at northern end and apparently clear in southern 3/4 of overpass. Pilot broke off satellite underpass about 35mi from southern endpoint. Surface appeared snow covered, with amounts decreasing toward the end of the track, during the underpass of the ADEOS. Overpass of SSEC at 190530. UTC was cloud free. All ground instrumentation operative during SSEC overpass.

Highlights

ER-2 underflew orbital track of ADEOS (IMG, POLDER, OCTS). ER-2 overflew ground sites at UW during clear sky conditions.

Instrument Status

• Modis Airborne Simulator (MAS): Operated, good data collected.
• Cloud Lidar System (CLS): Operated, data collected.
• High-Resolution Interferometer Sounder (HIS): Failed after 30 minutes of data collection.
• Millimeter-wave Imaging Radiometer (MIR): Operated in stare mode, good data collected.
• Tilt Scan CCD Camera (TSCC): Not flown this mission.
• RC-10 Camera: Operated (black and white - 6 inch lens). Data OK.

Additional Pilot Notes:.

Head winds of 75 to 90 kts were some of the strongest he has experienced. Similar to conditions of flights over the Arctic in winter.