Flight ID:
- 950426I
Flight Track:
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Chief Scientist: Ziegler/Fedor Flight Director: Damiano Doppler Radar: Shepherd Pilot: Kennedy/Tenneson Cloud Physics: --- Data Technician: Pradas Radiometer: Fedor Systems Engineer: Lynch/McNamara Observer: Wiscombe/Westwater Observer: M. Maddox Takeoff Time: 2048 UTC Landing Time: 0022 UTC Official Mission Duration: 3.8 hrs Mission Breakdown: VORTEX (0) ARM(3.8) Number of Tapes: Radar: 1 Cloud Physics: 1 Video: 3Data Systems Log
"The ARM version of a supercell!"
A vigorous cold front plunging southeastward across Oklahoma reached
Will Rogers just before takeoff. The IP after takeoff was just west of
McAlester, OK, where a series of legs through the pre-frontal
stratocumulus (Sc) cloud band were set up. Due to frontal system
movement, neither the central nor boundary ARM facilities could be
overpassed. Cloud bases were around 6000 ft. The LF radar was up and
recording for the duration of the mission.
On these SSW-NNE-oriented legs, the P-3 performed two legs at constant
altitude, then executed a series of six porpoise penetration legs
through the Sc deck at a nominal rise/descent rate of 500 ft/minute.
Ft. Worth Control was extremely busy handling traffic, and there were
frequent minor delays in setting up reversals and leg changes as a
result. Legs were periodically adjusted eastward to keep the P-3 about
75-100 km SE of a line of high-based cold-frontal convection with
maximum reflectivity of 35 dBZ. Good quality radiometer and
microphysics data were obtained in the support of ARM objectives.
During the course of the last several legs, a cell east of Henryetta,
OK, intensified to 55 dBZ. After the last ARM Sc pass, the P-3 was
vectored to the west to make a single E-W pass of the Henryetta cell
enroute back to OKC. The TA radar was brought up in sector-right mode,
and data quality appeared to be good.
The P-3 arrived back at OKC at 0022 UTC, consuming 3.8 hours of flight time.
Conrad Ziegler