Flight ID:
- 950430I
Flight Track:
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Chief Scientist: Watson/Ziegler Flight Director: Damiano Doppler Radar: Shepherd Pilots: Tenneson/Kennedy Cloud Physics: --- Data Technician: Pradas Radiometer: Westwater Systems Engineer: Lynch/McNamara Observers: Hazen,Wood Takeoff Time: 1900 UTC Landing Time: 0050 UTC Official Mission Duration: 6.1 hrs Mission Breakdown VORTEX: 6.1 hrs ARM: 0.0 hrs Number of Data Tapes Used: Radar: 2 Cloud Physics: 1 Video: 3Data Systems Log
Radar Data System Log Time On(UTC) Time Off(UTC) Comments Tape #1 1912 LF & TA 2041 LF only 2256 LF & TA 2322 Radar down due to TURBC Tape #2 2330 0030 Cloud Physics Log Time On(UTC) Time Off(UTC) Comments 1915 0030 ETL Radiometer Log Time On (UTC) Time Off (UTC) Comments 1850 0030 Excellent data
CAPE and shear was forecast to be present near a warm front and
advancing dryline in the Texas Panhandle. The P-3 was expected to
reconnoiter the area between Lubbock (LBB) and Childress (CDS), TX for these
boundaries. The Electra was expected to follow 30 min later for INIT
patterns with the P-3.
The P-3 departed OKC at 1900 UTC, climbing to FL100 heading to CDS
and on to 33N 101W, a point some 50nm SE of LBB. After descending to
500' AGL, we crossed the dryline at 101.7W, 40nm south of LBB. The ground
teams decided that the Texas panhandle was the area of action today. The
FC suggested we do a 500' AGL leg between LBB and CDS. On this leg, the
dryline was encountered just SE of LBB with dustdevils observed. Tracking
to the NE, we crossed the frontal boundary with a temperature gradient
from 26 C at the dryline to 17 C behind the front.
At this time, TCu's were developing near Tulia, TX, 40nm south of
Amarillo. As the ground teams slowly progressed westward out of CDS, we
coordinated an INIT #1 pattern with the Electra centered on 34.5N. Gentle
dustdevils were replaced behind the dryline with blowing dust. We completed
2 sets of stepped traverses (500', 3000', and 5000' AGL). On our last
traverse, weak CBs developed north of our track. So we began Doppler legs at
3000' AGL. On our next Doppler track eastward, dry microbursts rocked us
around pretty good braking the pattern.
We then moved our aircraft patterns southward to 34N and performed
one complete stepped traverse before the FC cancelled operations for the
day. We arrived back at OKC at 0050 UTC, consuming 6.1 flight hours.
Irv Watson