November 2, 2009
The NSF/NCAR GV flew from Anchorage, AK towards the North Pole and back to Anchorage on Research Flight #02.- Forward Looking Camera Flight Video
- Pre-Departure Images from Pavel Romashkin
- Flight Images from Britt Stephens
There were many objectives during the flight, but one important one was to sample the atmosphere as far north as they could during daylight. Steve Wofsy, HIPPO Principal Investigator explains why this is important for the HIPPO project:
This is operational: We wish to fly low, and not in clouds, both for safety reasons and because some instruments don't like to ingest liquid or frozen water. In the dark, you cannot see if there are clouds near the surface, and in the cold arctic region there very often are clouds near the surface.
In fact, there was plenty of light on our whole trip. At 80N we had a full moon directly ahead of us as we flew towards the pole, and the sun was just below the horizon to the south.
There was also a ton of pollution from Asia--the atmosphere was full of dark material, with high concentrations of CO. It is not pleasant to think that this remote area of the earth is grossly polluted, but that is the truth much of the time
Video: RF02 Forward Looking Camera
Wonderful pictures from Pavel Romashkin while getting ready for their polar flight:
 HIPPO Phase II: RF02 Flight Planning |
 HIPPO Phase II: RF 02 Morning Drive to Airport |
 HIPPO Phase II: RF02 Britt in the Hangar |
 HIPPO Phase II: RF02 Engine Fire Up |
 HIPPO Phsae II: RF02 Taxi |
 HIPPO Phase II: RF02 On Approach |
AMAZING pictures by Britt Stephens, HIPPO co-Principal Investigator:
 HIPPO Phase II: RF02 Denali |
 HIPPO Phase II: RF02 Pollution Over Arctic |
 HIPPO Phase II: RF02 Cloud decks north of Barrow, AK |
 HIPPO Phase II: RF02 Moon and lead at 80° North |
 HIPPO Phase II: RF02 Mt. Redoubt and Iliamna |
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