PLOWS Daily Log – Phase 2

1/14/10:  C-130 Ferry to PIA.  Off load all equipment and prepare for next flight.  CSI preparations.

1/15/10: Hard Down Day

1/16/10:  Power & access at 12:30 CST.  CSI pre-flight.  Installed new time server.  Pull out at 1330.  Research flight rf06 departed at 15:15 CST.  Flight terminated early due to hydraulic leak in engine #4.  Post flight inspection indicated need to pull the prop on #4 and possible fluid leak in engine #3.  Due to lack of support equipment on long Guard weekend, decided to ferry C-130 back to JeffCo for repairs.  

1/17/10:  Power & access starting at 0900.  Ice fog had airport closed in AM.  Departure delayed until 1230 CST.  Ferry to JeffCO uneventful.   Data processing and review from flight rf06.  Status form filed & data files submitted to catalog.  PLOWS update.  JeffCO – repairs begun on #4.

1/18/10:  Found problem with setup file for Sam’s special data runs.  Reprocessed.  Caught up on project paper work.  Worked on OFAP issues.  JeffCO - Repairs completed on #4.  Examination of #3 required prop removal.  Some scoring of prop shaft found.  

1/19/10:  Tech training class reviewing data from ff08 & rf06.  JeffCO - Repairs to #3 completed in AM.  Engine run ups found excessive vibration in #3.  #4 seems OK.  Attempts to re-balance #3 prop were unsuccessful.  Problem likely in gear box.  Decision made to replace entire #3 engine with on hand spare.

1/20/10:  Hard down day for PIA staff.  JeffCO – Replacement of engine #3.

1/21/10:  Missed flight opportunity.  Ground facilities not deployed to prepare for better storm forecast for the weekend.  PI’s briefed on aircraft status.  JeffCO – Rigging & ground testing of engine #3.  vibration persists so flight test was canceled.  

1/22/10:  Hard down day for all project crew.  Ground facilities deployed to prepare for Saturday operations.  JeffCO –  Counter weights added to #3 prop assembly to try and reduce vibration.  Gnd tests unsuccessful.

1/23/10: Tudor, Campos & Oolman depart PIA.  Moved JeffCO staff out of their rooms & organized equipment at Guard.  JeffCO – No activity.

1/24/10:  Schanot, Munnerlyn & Bruning depart PIA.  JeffCO – Hard Down.

1/25/10: JeffCO – Changed out prop pump housing on #3.  Ground tests unsuccessful.  Vibration remains.  Spare prop assembly shipped from repair vendor.

1/26/10: JeffCO - #3 prop assembly pulled to prepare for replacement.  General servicing or aircraft.  UV Hygrometer added to research payload.  IRU swap.  Chg THDG offset to 0.237.

1/27/10: JeffCO – Spare prop assembly arrives at 2200 MST.  Assembly mounted.  Munnerlyn & Bruning hard down.

1/28/10: JeffCO – Completion of prop installation & rigging.  Gnd test successful.  Maintenance test flight departs at 1500 MST.  Hydraulic leak found in #4.  Test canceled mid flight.  #4 prop assembly pulled.

1/29/10:  JeffCO – Seals replaced in #4 prop assembly.  Prop remounted & rigged.  Gnd tests successful.  Maintenance test flight successful. C-130 departs for PIA at 1700 MST.  Research conducted in route so flight designated as rf07.   Significant ice accumulation on two legs.   Arrival in PIA at 2230 CST.

1/30/10: Power & Access from 1300 – 1700 CST.  Serving of fluids in engines.  Checked radome plumbing for water.  Serviced optics on PMS probes.  David Plummer services CSI.  Data processing of rf07.

1/31/10: Hard Down.

2/01/10:  Mechanic pre-flight at 0730.  Pull out with power & access 0830.  Flight rf08.  WCR/RAF Calibration flight for maneuvers.  TO 1000 CST.  Duration 1.6 hrs.  Data download from rf07 to catalog.  Update of XPMS2D software.

2/02/10: Change brake on main gear.  Routine maintenance on instrumentation.  WCR checking for coolant leak.

2/03/10: Educational visit to U of I.  Pull out 0900 / Ferry 1000.  Open House 1100 to 1400 CST.  Return to PIA.

2/04/10: Research flight rf09.  Pull out 0530.  De-icing of tail delayed departure until 0745.  Duration 7.9 hours.  Solid ice cloud – large particles.  Minimal response from 1-D probes but probes working fine.  Short interval of icing on AKRD.  UV hygrometer failed – intermittent connection somewhere in electonics.

2/05/10:  On site ready to pull out at 0530.  Freezing rain at PIA delayed action.  Held until 1130 CST then terminated plans for a flight due to bad weather (simet for severe clear icing over Illinois).  Data processing of rf09.  Unable to copy to catalog due to a “permissions” problem.  

2/06/10: Hard Down PIA crew.  Travel for replacement crew.  

2/07/10: Hard Down replacement crew.  Travel home for PIA crew.

2/08/10:  RF10; aircraft took off from PIA at about 6:30 AM, ferried to Terra Hague, IN, for refueling, then did a research mission incl. Dropsonde leg E late in the flight. At the end of the mission, the C-130 ferried to JeffCo for an overnight.

2/09/10: RF11; aircraft took off from JeffCo, flew a mission in Wisconsin and landed at PIA. Jason managed to guide the C-130 despite considerable snow. ANG asked us to return slightly early to ensure that snow removal crew could go home, and that the C-130 stood a good chance to get in if early. Main problems noted in debrief: Wyoming radar has slightly reduced sensitivity (noise) of 2 dB; will work on it Wednesday. CSI was unsuccessful. PI laptop has sticky touchpad – sometimes it will start programs even when not intended. No real RAF problems; Beaton hygrometer not functional, but that was well known. Clarkson Univ inlet froze up once (and for good) the aircraft was in a small amount of supercooled LWC. The “Schanot” inlet functioned fine! John Cowan arrived to replace Kyle Holden. ANG was on our case for having about 16 unaccounted for rags!

2/10/10: Maintenance day. Routine RAF maintenance; UWyo radar work, Clarkson work on leaky swaegelock fitting, CSI work – Dave Plummer will start the sensor air at take-off; he is afraid that flying for several hours prior to turning airflow on may have led to ice-plugs in the past. Dave Plummer will also try to have a spanner modified in town. Carpenter gave us permission to extend until 15 March.

2/11/10: Hard down day. Flight decided on for 2/12/10 to Alabama. Also agreed to an overnight in Little Rock, AK, for the night of 2/13/10.

2/12/10:  During prep for Alabama flight, a small brake fluid seepage was discovered. The fault was rectified within 3 hours, but the target storm was too far south and too marginal; the flight was called off. Mechs then worked on a small oxygen leak.

2/13/10:  Crew change to night schedule.

2/14/10: Night mission, RF12, with a take-off at 9 PM. Satcom would not start, pressure rake did not work and was rebooted. In the end there was no data from the rake.
2/15/10: Landed at 6 AM after completing RF12. Great mission, many tired people.

2/16/10: Change-over to day schedule.

2/17/10: Hard down day.

2/18/10: Worked on satcom system early in the morning (after a delay with a prop). Finally discovered that the vendor had changed name, and this was not in our configuration files. Many emails between Lucas, Bill and Dave Rogers regarding broken switch on the CN rack assembly. From 2-6 PM did a WCR calibration flight over Arkansas. Apparently successful, and certainly very good weather.

2/19/10: Maintenance day.

2/20/10: Hard down day for Steve Thompson, who took over from Henry. Maintenance day for the aircraft. Test of WCR on the ramp.

2/21/10: Flight took off just as snow started falling in Peoria. Forecast was for 4-8 inches in Peoria. Excellent study, but pilots decided immediately before takeoff that they would not attempt to return to Peoria. Jorgen drove the streets at night in 4 inches of soapy, water-logged snow. Very slippery, and snowing hard. Little Rock was in the clear.
RICE has offset and “un-natural” behavior in second half of flight.

2/22/10: C-130 returned from Little Rock, AR.

2/23/10:  Maintenance day.  Changed King element, reset Gerber calibration for XGLWC, cleaned 10-micron 2DC, ran beads (1-point cal) through 2xFSSP and CDP; no change in any calibrations of the scattering probes.

2/24/10:  Hard down day.

2/25/10:  Maintenance day. TDL re-installed after pumping down.

2/26/10:  RF15 flight over NE Texas. CSI was not working, Lucas’s gear needs work.

2/27/12:  Maintenance day, work on CSI and Clarkson equipment. Visit of small school group to C-130.

2/28/10:  Maintenance day, work on CSI only.

3/1/10:  Flight to eastern Texas and Louisiana. RF16. 17:28 – 25:32.  CSI down.

3/2/10: Crew rotation.  Flight to Georgia & S. Carolina.  RF17: 1734-2551.  CSI down.  SATCOM down for flight – possible vendor issues?

3/3/10: Hard down day.  Curtis P. of DMT in town to work on CSI at the hotel.  Project documentation review.

3/4/10: Maintenance day 0900 – 1500.  Aircraft on ramp for SATCOM work.  Confirmed problem on service vendor side.  Work on CSI by DMT & Dave Plummer.  Met with Guard commander and presented photo memento.  Group photo with RAF staff and commander for Guard PR.  Downloaded data from rf17 to catalog.

3/5/10:  Maintenance day 0900 – 1600.  Mechs servicing oil filters on engines & prepping for flight tomorrow.  Aircraft on ramp to test vendor SATCOM fix.  TDL servicing.  Pilots trying to coordinate dropsonde releases with local centers.

3/6/10:  Aircraft moved to ramp at 0730 CST to avoid conflict with Guard exercise.  Free time until return at 1000 CST.  Aircraft departs PIA at 1115 CST and ferries to Aurora Municipal airport for educational visit to NIU.  Open house for NIU and local AMS chapter from 1300 – 1500.  Wx briefing from 1530 – 1600.  Return ferry to PIA at 1630.  Reception at Byerly for support staff.

3/7/10:  Hard down day.

3/8/10: Arrival at Guard base at 1245.  Aircraft pull out and pre-flight prep starting at 1300.  Research flight rf18 departs at 1445.  SATCOM started working just prior to departure.  Coordination with local ATC centers will allow dropsonde releases on next mission.  RF18 outside of approved target area.  Flight duration 7.9 hours.  Standard recovery.

3/9/10: Plans for research flight canceled.  Flat main gear tire found upon arrival for pre-flight.  Ordered spare from JeffCO.  Bob Rauber on site.  Met with Maintenance Group commander and presented picture.  PI’s working on a letter to Guard from U of I chancellor.  Crew began pack up of ground support equipment.  Gave tour of C-130 to local CAP squadron in the evening.

3/10/10:  Loaded first truck with main gear.  Changed C-130 main gear tire.  Prepped aircraft for departure.  Shut down data center.