ER-2 Flight: 97042

Date: January 29, 1997

Mission: clouds over snow.

Mission Objectives

Overfly cirrus and clear scenes over snow background. Overfly cirrus over water background (Lake MI). Overfly Space Science instrumentation (HSRL, AERI, Classonde, Nolin snow measurements) at end of flight.

Flight Summary

Take off at 1600 UTC. ER-2 landed at MSN at 2020 UTC.

ER-2 left Madison and flew NE to north of the Lake Huron, then southeastward over overcast conditions into central Ohio where there were cloud-free snow and winter vegetation ground scenes. The ER-2 then flew banded cirrus scenes (with snowcover) toward southern Lake Michigan . Then the ER-2 flew up to the northern end of Lake MI in overcast conditions. The ER-2 then returned to Madison where it overflew SSEC in overcast conditions and then went into descent.

Overpass of SSEC on 270 heading at 1927 UTC was overcast with variably thick mid to high cloud (sun disk visible thru clouds at times from the ground). All ground instrumentation operative during SSEC overpass.

Highlights

ER-2 overflew ground sites at UW during overcast sky conditions. Scenes include both cloud and clear over snow, and transition from clear snowcover to clear groundcover.

Instrument Status

• Modis Airborne Simulator (MAS): Operated, good data collected.
• Cloud Lidar System (CLS): Operated, data collected.
• High-Resolution Interferometer Sounder (HIS): Failed after 6 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 over mostly clear scenes (black and white - 6 inch lens). Data OK.

Additional Pilot Notes:.

Pilot spotted jet contrail over clear, snow background at 1732UTC. Snowcover gone at 1735 UTC.