HIPPO III: Research Flight 01 - Colorado to Alaska

March 24, 2010: RF01

The first of 11 HIPPO III research flights left from Broomfield, Colorado aproximately 12:30pm heading to Anchorage, AK. Due to delays in the flight schedule, the flight plan only incorporated 2 dips along the way which were performed as missed approaches at airports in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and Watson Lake, Yukon Territory, Canada.

FAA regulations do not allow flights to fly below 1000' over land, so in order for the HIPPO study to collect samples at low altitudes they must do a missed approach at an airport. Missed approaches are when the aircraft is fully prepared to land at an airport, but just prior to landing the aircarft gains altitude again, intentionally missing the landing. This way the instruments on the aircraft can collect air samples at low levels of the atmoshphere. The image to the right was taken with the forward looking camera as it starts a missed approach at the Watson Lake Airport. In fact, some of the crew saw a moose when they did the missed approach!



Jonathan Bent checking the AO2 instrument



Learn more about the

AO2 instrument



Flying high over the Canadian Rockies

 

 



Arriving in Anchorage, AK

 

 

VIDEO: HIPPO III RF01 Flight